Neptunian Theory: Return of The Phantom
by xnobody13
Summary: REPOSTED: During the twilight years past the ASIC incident, a strange being emerges with an entire landmass, planning on hurting Gamindustri unless the heroines can successfully prove their worth. What they experience on the landmass, however, will haunt them forever. Rated M due to violence, sexual themes, drug use, strong language. CANCELLED
1. Prelude: The Phantom Speaks

Before we begin the before we begin part, a note from an author:

My friends, I have yet to realize why this story was removed in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I was planning on it in the first place, but I decided against it, yet the website still had the gall to go with my previous, false wishes. Now, again, I hate what this story is; its completely annoying to read, the characters are not at all like they are in the actual series, it can never be considered a part of the game series due to its content, and, frankly, its unorginal compared to the other stories. However, many did like this story, so I decided to republish it again, this time trying to fix any error that I can find. Most of the spelling errors have been cleared (I hope), and I did tweek parts of the story to fix certain plot holes. I also added some scenes, mostly in chapters past chapter 10. The story will be gradually reposted during the next couple of days or weeks, so hand in there, everyone!

-Xnobody13

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(Before we begin: a note from an author):

Hello, dear readers. You probably have clicked this story in the hopes that it would satisfy whatever you are craving at this exact, opportune moment. Unfortunately, you might not find the best thing in the entire galaxy residing here in these paragraphs of a story quite distraught and tragic. The story has been planned out for many months, but the first chapters are rather poorly written and a bore; I wrote them long ago, and never chose to rewrite them in any way, shape, or form, because the rest of the tale will build off of them. Also, writing classes have drastically affected how I write since these first four chapters, so expect a sudden shift during chapter 5.

Also, in regards to male characters: They are in this story in the hopes of advancing the plot, not for some thrill in the authors mind. There is no fem/male shipping involved here with the exception of OC/OC, which again is for plot. Any shipping is entirely up to the reader, so don't let these male characters persuade you from leaving; leave because the story generally sucks compared to other works.

Alas! This story must surely begin, before time runs out!

-Xnobody13

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Chapter 1: In Which We-

Hello, dear friends, careless readers who happened to click on this god-damn story. Do you really want to sit through a story that bears no major significance on this universe? I am mearly a façade created by some terrible child who has no idea what he is doing with his life. He thinks that this continuation would actually affect something in people's minds, but do you really think that those at NIS would gave a crap about this apparation of a horribly plotted fanfic? Why must I be judged by these words that he carelessly wrote to describe me, a thing that no one will care to remember by the conclusion of this tightly-constructed-my-ass novel of a fanfic that probably won't continue due to lack of care and understanding? Readers, leave now, for this fanfic will never be what it wanted to be: a game. Such a cruel fate to be bestowed upon a plot that really shouldn't be in written form, but alas, dear Xnobody13, your dream is but one that should dive into hell like the rest of your godforsaken plans!

Ah, forgive me; I neglected to notice that the chapter began. Hu-hem…let me restart. Forget I said any of that, and enjoy this short tale in which hopefully this vessel will make it through.

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Chapter 1: In Which We Begin such a Terrible Novel

Many years ago, I was forcibly killed by the forces of the Goddesses. Oh, how I remember their faces as they slashed away my frame, removing me from the physical realm! My blood scorched their land, forever, at least in their eyes, ravished by the devil that dwelled from within me. They viewed me as scum, as a wart on the facial features of the most delicate lady (note to self: think of better comparisons by next appearance. Crap! Broke the fourth wall once more) that surely must be eradicated. They showed no remorse in my death, nor did they show any form of sympathy as the killing was being committed. Yet, I never did wrong to them, or at least to the level that they did upon me. I should be the one still breathing on this wonderous land, rather than those devils that run our nations to the ground.

I lost my identity to them, plagued only by the haunting name of my persona while on the road. It was etched into my mind, so that when I return to a form in Celestia in order to be cast down into the deepest depths of hell, I will never be able to identify myself with the birth-name I so long loved. Oh, how I wish to get rid of this curse, but it is beyond my power. But their curse doesn't end there; they took away my business, my pride, my family, and my belief that there truly is a life-after-death. However, there was one thing that truly killed me, the thing that sent me over the edge: the loss of the one I truly cherish. The one that I loved ever so dearly.

My, it has been so long since I have seen her lovely face illuminating the world around her. She, like them, was also a Goddess; though unlike those heretics behind sheeps clothing, she was a kind, considerate soul that trusted everyone, and would never harm a soul unless they truly deserved it. She was my muse, the one that inspired me to continue my research in the various fields when I was one of the mortals dwelling here on this planet. She supported me, unlike the others, and in turn I helped her nation become one of the most scientifically-advanced communities in the entire world. I healed thousands, discovered various forms of technology and aspect sciences, and was the most accomplished patron in the art of reviving, though even I failed to reach the true pinnacle of this thought (though I never stated that I failed in the studies). All of these could have been accomplished in the neighboring land-masses, but unfortunately those Goddesses despised the very sight of my being, and thus failed to jump on the bandwagon.

Her name was beauiful, describing her personality of speed and power so well, perfect in its luster and prime. Her name, dear friends, was Turbo; nothing more, nothing less. Of course that was just her human-style name, but when she transformed into that angelic CPU, she sported the name of Orange Heart, a name so fitting for her nation, that of Lan16. Hm, don't know Lan16? Well, I'll tell you later. Anyways, she enjoyed the bright color of orange, for its significance as a color of valor, pride, power, and overall nobility. Oh, she was graceful in her ways, dear friends, and when I met her, she was absolutely stunning. We were friends, and I wanted it to grow farther in. I wanted to take her as my wife, to live life to its fullest together, ruling over Lan16 and conquering our foes that bordered our land with their terrible influence.

But then that fateful day occurred, where I lost Turbo, my only love and eternity. She was killed because of those fools, branding her to die such a pointless death, definitely not a death suited for such a high-class citizen such as her. They killed her off due to jealousy, due to their own selfish pride, due to their greed for her wonderous land. When I found that she died, I went beserk, hopefully in understandable nature to you all. I'll admit it here that I was truly not thinking straight at the time, but I decided to attack these Goddesses, wanting the revenge that was so-well deserved to be placed on those unforgivable souls that took away Turbo in cold-blood.I wanted to see their own blood spilled onto the floor, their deaths in agony as the last bits of life fade away from their eyes.

Fate can be cruel, dear friends. I was unable to stop these people, being that I was a mortal at the time, and thus they slain me, laughing as my own blood soaked their soil, my body later being burned away in a rather hellish manner. When I was finished, they continued on with their lives, falsely crying over Turbo's unfortunate death, even though they were the ones that caused it. Oh Turbo, how I miss you so! Those vile wreches robbed you of your country and life, and all they did in response is neglect the fact that you even existed after such a short time. I have heard many stories over the many years of my absence in regards to the history of this world, and not once has Turbo or her landmass ever been mentioned at all. Hell, my very cursed name is still remembered as what it is: a curse. Why must I be remembered so cruely, while Turbo the Goddess must be forgotten so dearly?

Hm? Yes, it is odd how I am talking about all this even though I am dead. Well, remember when I mentioned that whole thing about reviving, and how I never did perfect it, only an accomplished patron? Heh, how stupid those Goddesses were, to simply assume that my death was quite the end of it all. My, if only they would accept me, and see the various types of inventions that I have created over the various years of my living life, so that when I return, they would know why I did. Such a marvelous invention this is, a complete vessel for this weary soul, a back-up in case of death, which sadly had to occure before I even reached the point of old. Sure, the body was only a prototype, but it is surely working out better than I have imagined. They will be shocked to see me once more, complete with Lan16 returning, filled with some of my other creations that I will surely elaborate upon later on. Why will I be bringing a nation with me? Another device, dear friends. I truly am the smartest person in the entire world, aren't I? Tee hee.

In just a few days, it will be the anniversary of the day they took my Turbo away. Ah, such splendid joy I had giving birth to such a devious plan, one that will simply put an end to these whores known as Goddesses. Friends, revenge is best served cold, and when we come face-to-face once more, I will be the one doing the killing. I will end their pitiful lives the same way they ended mine and Turbo's. Oh, when they see me again, they will enjoy a death so horrid I can't even begin to describe the psychological effects it could create. Oh man, I surely can't wait!

So now, dear friends, get your ambitions prepared, for the day of their deaths will arrive oh, so quickly. Patience, everyone…

(_An introduction from the man himself. Now, let's get a more light-hearted opening from our hammy narrator.)_

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Chapter 2: Where it seems that this Tale has a Narrator

The year is 20XX; those last digits are all on you. It was only a year since the mighty Deity of Sin has fallen to the Goddesses of Gamindustri. Piracy was vanquished, and the evil, hideous, most revolting thing that was ASIC fell apart in a rather hilarious way. Life grew and grew, and pretty soon absolutely no one could even remember the strange group that nearly ruined our great land.

Gamindustri; the land of perfect opportunity, development, love and respect, among many other aspects that bring the culture to life; how many other nations have all of this? None, I tell you. The major unification of various nations is made up by Lastation (the Great Eastern Relic), Leanbox (The Southern Winds), Lowee (The Northern Fright), and Planeptune (The Central Ambiance), all who have their individual characteristics that counter each other beautifully. Lastation is home to the more industrial people, Lowee with the fantasy people, Leanbox with the technological people, and Planeptune with the dreamy people. They all are rivals with one another, each one trying to best the other with every field of advancement, trying to be the top of the heap. Yet, on another specturm, they are all friends with one another, especially with the Goddesses, who normally go to café's with one another on their down time. It's amazing how these Goddesses could go from being at each others necks to being the best of buds. Truly glorious!

When the Goddesses vanished, Gamindustri fell apart, but with the help of various heroes, the wonderful nation rebuilt itself from the ground up, and soon the world returned to normal, which is always a good thing. With evil vanquished, the Goddesses Neptune (Purple Heart), Noire (Black Heart), Vert (Green Heart), and Blanc (White Heart), along with their candidates Nepgear (Purple Sister), Uni (Black Sister), Rom (One White Sister), and Ram(Another White Sister), all returned and continued the cycle of love/hate relationships. With that, Gamindustri continued to live.

Now one year has passed by, and culture simply changed within all those months. Games grew in prominence, almost to the point of being the biggest thing in terms of shares. Fashion erupted as well, with a strange fascination in semi-formal wear becoming increasingly common (possibly due to the Beat-Alls and Royale-5's influence on Gamindustri), along with the strange fascination of Fedora's becoming prevalent (Possibly because of Neptune, who created ads in support of the head-ware. Why, I'll never know). Planeptune and Lastation suddenly became closer to one another in terms of Industrial-preference, a change in pace that has garnered concern from those in Lowee and Leanbox, though it seems to be simply a cultural clash, if anything. Music has changed as well, going from the poppish-rock that dominated the market to the more laid-back psychedelic rock, a switch that was inadvertedly caused by 5pb. after the release of her album "General Salt's Socially-Awkward Club Band," which won critical praise and to this day remains on the top 5 list. Due to the peace, the feeling for soldiers and the whole study of military and politics dropped low, and a "Summer of Love" began to grow in recent months.

Unfortunately, this peace will soon be compromised, as a horrible string of events were about to occur, leading to one of the biggest challenges that the Goddesses have ever dealt with during their long-running careers. A new foe, or rather, an old foe has come once more to attempt to take out the Goddesses, an endeavor that might just prove successful. This crime that he wants to accomplish will put not only the Goddesses at risk, but even those that accompany them. Oddly, I have received a list of important characters: Nisa, the bothered heroine of Justice, Uni, the troubled candidate, Nepgear, the confused candidate, and 5pb., the distraught musician. Why such a strange assortment of specific people? Dears, even this humble narrator is confused.

For now, we must begin this weary adventure, in order to see how disturbed these events truly are. As such, we shall begin this story, and hopefully we will see a true ending to this, or else everyone will truly be pissed.


	2. PART 1: Nisa's disturbing investigation

A.N: Turn the contrast to dark to view this story in GamIndustri "Noire" mode!

* * *

Part 01:

The Awakening

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Chapter 03: In Which a Bumbling Detective and a Wannabe Heroine Set out for the Truth.

"_In the Lastation Corps, you deal with the chain of command. Mistakes get made, but you deal with 'em. You know what you're fighting for, that you're on the same team. But dealing with corruption is like chasing shadows; you never know whether the guy you're talking to is on the path, or whether it's your partner, or maybe even the Watch Commander. So who do you trust, Nisa? I made up my mind a long time ago…"_

Nisa sat shotgun in the police car, looking out anxiously at the rain pouring down against the cool window, her breath constantly fogging up the glass. Outside, the dark, graying buildings passed on by, their shadow-like appearance making the morning feel like night-time. That's what you get for working in Lastation, especially in the lower ghetto section, where life seems to just be on the whim of destruction. Down here, you could still see the lingering effects of Arfoire's influence, with many civies looking on at the police with great contempt and rage. Nisa looked on in disgust; you could tell there was no justice down in these parts, severely noticeable when the game-engine rendered the entire area in black-and-white, with the exception of the heavy use of neon signs that covered the top of the huge buildings about her.

Driving this rather spiffy vehicle was Nisa's partner, Detective Joe Whelps, Homicide desk. Nisa and him have been partners for nearly five months, though in full honesty they were slightly polar opposites; Nisa was ambitious and strong with the desire to get justice out of nearly everything, while Joe Whelps was more laid-back, wanting justice of course but really only caring about stopping the insanity that murder comes with. Still, ever since they got signed to this potential case, they seemed to have been getting along, though it was more of a father-crazy daughter relationship than a partner-one. Unlike Nisa, he grew up in this Ghetto area of Lastation, learning to bear with the hostility. While never being proven, it has been said that Whelps was a war veteran for the 128-wars back in the day, meaning he must be in his early 40's, but this has never been proven.

Normally, Nisa would be the one helping the police rather than actually being a part of the force, but after the fall of Arfoire about a year ago; Nisa was out of work in the crime-fighting department, and felt that she was growing stale after crime rates across all nations plummeted to an all-time low. The only nation that seemed to have any form of crime going on was Lastation, which was the only nation that was having trouble with certain gangs and murderers, including the infamous Origami Strangler. Nisa tried to still be the heroine, but after being charged for insanity, disrupting police work, and generally causing a nuisance (she was also charged as a man, being that the cops thought she was a young man. They will never live that one down). After being released, she requested to join the force, which somehow worked in her favor. I will never understand that plot convenience.

Many have wondered why she even bothered, for didn't she have a partner in that of a girl with a rather nice hat, not affiliated with the official law in any way? No one knows what happened with this partnership, but what we do know is that something…bizarre happened, and that little girl isn't here anymore. Perhaps she got bored or something. Anyways…

Their case was strong, arduous, and slightly bizarre. For these five months, multiple murders have been reported all around the lower areas of Lastation, all showing various signs of similarities: the position was always supine, the face was always seared and covered with horrendous blemishes, the arms were skeletal, the whole body looked dehydrated, and the teeth and eyes were discolored, with the teeth always looking a lot more feral than normal. In total, 9 bodies have been found, only 3 being identified (the others were too disfigured for any hope), all bearing the same style of death, which appeared to be starvation and suffocation. The bodies were always found in open areas surrounded by buildings, usually during rainy mornings, with orchids usually on the victim's hand. Nisa could've sworn she heard of a similar scenario with a different murderer years ago, but perhaps it was just a coincidence. Whelps was assigned personally by Lastation's Goddess Noire to deal with this, due to her knowledge of his impressive track record with these cases (Whelps never met the Goddess, unfortunately), though she was unaware of Nisa's involvement (would you really want to see Whelps alone, readers? Gary Stu, anyone?).

Now both her and Whelps were driving to the next location, an abandoned park that once held the pride of many children frollocking around fruitfully, now rusting away in Lastation's horrible climate. It was discovered about two hours prior, and Joe and Nisa were of course assigned to investigate. It wasn't that Nisa wanted to avoid investigating this murder, but she wasn't the one that could look at dead bodies for long. Seeing the horrifying appearance of the bodies always made her squeamish, but if she truly was the Heroine of Justice, she had to figure out who was causing these murders. Hopefully today they could actually find some form of evidence, instead of the many red herrings that made Whelps always say "Incidental." All she knew was that either way, she was bothered by the case. Nothing, absolutely nothing, seems to add up in the end.

"You alright there, Nis?" Whelps asked her, swerving the car a little in order to dodge some hoodlums who were mocking them in the streets. Nisa jumped in her seat, realizing that dialogue existed in this fan fiction, and turned to him, slightly bug-eyed.

"Y-yeah, of course! This sworn protector of these people is never in crisis. Oh, I just can't wait to get to the scene! Maybe we could finally bust this wretch!" Nisa proclaimed, her fist in the air, that fang in her mouth obviously showing. In the previous paragraph we already mentioned that she was bothered and troubled by the sight of dead bodies and how nothing seemed to make sense, but she didn't want Whelps to think she was a weakling (Nisa surely despised weaklings). She went back to looking out the window as Whelps sighed.

"What is this now, the 9th body? 10th? Man, how long will this go on?" He said, starting some form of conversation (Nisa was normally more talkative). Nisa began playing with a loose strand of her hair, her breath once more fogging up the window as various poor folk walked down the shambled side-walk.

"I know, right? What cruel, terrifying bastard could kill so many innocents in such a small time? This man will surely be taught a most valuable lesson when we find him. Come now, comrade, let's solve this murder mystery once and for all!" Nisa yelled looking so chirp compared to her previous stance of watching out the window unsuringly. Whelps smiled. He didn't really enjoy Nisa acting all childish when it wasn't called for, but he did care for her, and whenever she looked bothered for whatever reason, he always felt bad as well.

"Let's just hope today's our lucky day. I have a bad feeling if this case keeps going on like this," Whelps said, taking a sharp turn as the buildings began to obscure the sky (rain still somehow hit the ground as usual). Just up ahead he could see the bright lights of the other Police vehicles formed in a circle, with rather bland wooden barricades surrounding them. A couple of bystanders stood outside the gates, smoking and looking rather suspicious. Whelps sighed, knowing that this was going to be one hell of an investigation.

"There's got to be something, Whelps. This killer can't be so elusive for so long. I've fought that ASIC group, and while they had their fair share of hidden people, they all got uncovered in days time. Today will surely be our lucky one Whelps, count on it!" she said in a cheerful tone, looking so proud in herself. Whelps shrugged, and began to pull up to the scene, where a couple of random-bobs directed them to where they should park.

Even when acting all confident, Nisa felt horrible as she stepped out of the vehicle.

Abandoned Park

Downtown Lastation, 8:30 AM

"Good you two finally decided to show up," the Coroner said, standing up from the dead body, lying in that supine position that the rest were found in. Nisa shook her head, turning to look the other way.

"Detective Joe Whelps and Nisa, Homicide. What seems to be the case here?" Whelps asked, looking about the wasteland, grimacing as minimal rain fell upon his nicely-made fedora (all detectives besides Nisa had one. They were just that cool looking). Nisa saw the various markers on the ground, labeled accordingly, though once more none of the things on the ground seemed to match the case at all.

The Coroner looked back down at the body. "Same as before, Whelps. The body was found in a supine position, arms rather too skinny, body dehydrated, teeth horribly disfigured, face seared…either the same person or a copycat, though we still don't have any leads," he said, shrugging his shoulders, adjusting one of his gloves as rain hit his bald head.

"I see. Any P.O.I.'s recently? There's got to be something, man! Please tell me you found something," Nisa randomly blurted out, looking surprisingly serious, making the Coroner jump.

"Sorry, Nisa, but nobody appears to be related to the case besides that Arcside worker, and he was relieved of his status by the fourth body. Right now, we're all at a loss," he said, shaking his head as more rain pounced onto his head. Nisa looked away in disgust, both at the lack of info and the fact that the body was right there.

"All right, thanks. Were going to need to look about, if you don't mind?" Whelps asked, pulling out his trusted notebook, ready to look for clues that could hopefully help in the investigation. The Coroner lifted his arms up, indicating his approval. Nisa had to admit, she was kind of afraid of The Coroner for one specific reason that other officers also shared (Whelps even had the thing ): Each had rather well-detailed faces, only possible via the use of 32 hi-def cameras that could capture every facial muscle. She didn't understand why they had this, and why she didn't, but she decided to ignore it.

Nisa soon entered the crime scene, and Whelps was about to join her, when out of nowhere the Coroner stopped him. "Is something wrong?" Whelps asked, trying to get this case over with as fast as humanly possible.

"You sure you want her on this case, Whelps? You remember last time. That Pigvader never saw it coming!" The Coroner asked, making a rather comically looking face only possible via the cameras. Whelps sighed.

"I know that was a hassle, but she is good at figuring things out. We need her on this case, sir, and that's final," Whelps told him, standing like a statue because that was how the engine was made. The Coroner shrugged, and let Whelps go, turning now back to the carcass that was being ruined by the ever-present rain. Whelps shook his head. Nisa could get rather…anxious out in the field, and when she did, it was rather painful to stop her. Still, she was one of the better ones at finding things lying about, so she was crucial in this investigation.

8:33 AM

Nisa looked about the ground, but all she could find were the littering of bottles, bags, matchboxes, useless boxes, and cigarette containers. The ground was all muddy and disgusting, yet she still had to kneel down and pick things up, making her knees stained with the murky mess. I should've mentioned her outfit by now, but eh, better late then never. In order for her to actually fit in as a police officer/detective, she had to have the proper uniform, so her standard uniform of justice was left behind in her abode. She wore a white shirt (men's shirt, much to her chagrin) that had a button-collar, covered by a bluish vest-jacket, with black slacks that she had to wear for pants, being all topped off with black dress-shoes (size 7, I believe). In her own words, the exact type of uniform that was completely horrible for crime-fighting, unless she had a firearm, which she rarely used (even the Prinny gun she had was only used for melee combat). It was distressing to wear, but to be a crime-fighter, she had to oblige to the rules.

Bottle after soggy bottle she picked up, only to be lead nowhere, just getting her knees and gloves dirty during her pointless attempt to find at least something out. Man, why is nothing ever obvious with these cases? She thought, continuing to look about, hoping that at least something would pop up that would solve some of her problems. The only thing she could really find was a rather well-preserved recent newspaper that was on one of the benches, though it proved useless to the crime at hand. The head-line read:

**RECENT FAIR RETELLS LAN16 LEGEND**

Play tells about the Downfall of the arduous nation

"Damn, not even the newspapers could help me," Nisa yelled quietly to herself, placing it back down. This investigation was certainly leading no where; was it truly a lost cause to continue their search for the killer? No, Nisa began to think, I can't let this creep simply slip away from us. He has to be brought justice before it is too late!

She continued to search, scaling the entire place, leaving no stone unturned. She went to the first marked area and saw that they labeled a lost fang with some red on it, apparently belonging to the victim's mouth. A similar piece of evidence was in every area, and every time they analyzed the "red," they found that it was just natural coloring, something truly bizarre for a standard human. Still, it was good to at least check for blood, by any chance. The next object she saw labeled was a hammer, which looked rather broken. It was implied by Whelps that the back part of the hammer was used to yank the tooth out, though this is simply a mere speculation. The last objects were small ink spots that dotted an area near a bush, again something that occurred in every area, leading all the way to a useless piece of evidence. All-in-all, everything littered about was useless to Nisa.

"Jeez, is there anything new at all?" Nisa said, still looking about, feeling rather uneasy still. There had to be at least 20 officers searching about the area, and absolutely none of them could find a single piece of evidence that could be found useful. Whelps was busy looking at the body now, checking the pockets of his jacket, but finding no identification whatsoever. "Hope he's doing better then I am," Nisa said out loud, sighing in defeat. She longed for the time she will be able to beat up the forces of evil, but for now that didn't seem to be a likely scenario in the foreseeable future.

It was then that Nisa saw a horrible flash dart across her field of vision.

Nisa quickly turned around, back towards where the ink spots were found on the ground. She made a "wahh?" sound as she stumbled around; hoping to see what caused such a strange flash to occur. When she did see the thing, however, her heart stopped for a second.

The thing was a man, possibly at least. She only saw it for a split second, but whatever it was; it was rather lanky, almost like a scarecrow, complete with a ragged hat. She didn't make out the face, but she could tell that whatever face it could have possibly possessed, it was surely ugly. She didn't know what on Gamindustri it could have been, but all she could think of was that she saw a ghost; a living (or nonliving) ghost, who decided to appear right before her very eyes. Just like that, it was gone, but Nisa was able to see a message it gave. Whether it meant harm or not, the figure's hand stuck out, pointing towards the bush where the ink spots lead. Other than that, the point was the only thing Nisa was able to make out, before it vanished from her sight.

"H-how…wh-what did I…?" Nisa stammered, ready to fall over on her feet. She looked about hoping that someone, particularly Whelps, saw the thing, but no one seemed to be looking in her direction. Apparently, she was the only soul here in the vicinity that actually saw this strange being come to life. She made a gulp, and stood there, completely silent, unable to fully comprehend what she just saw.

Yet out of nowhere she quickly moved to the bush, the exact object the thing pointed to. She quickly fumbled through its browning branches, tossing aside the leaves and small pieces of trash, trying to see why this thing pointed to such a random bush. It seemed like a useless endeavor at first, until Nisa found the strange piece of paper, wedged in-between a lone twig and dozens of leaves. She would have normally passed the paper off as useless, but it just seemed that the paper was actually calling her. Believe me, Nisa was weirded out as well.

The paper was folded, and when she opened it up, she saw its contents, which completely sent her in a freak. Written in what appeared to be the same ink, she saw a single name written dozens of time, showing absolutely no order in its spacing and position. The ink was clearly running off the page due to the constant rain, but it was still possible for Nisa to make out the name written in such a disgusting way.

"Whelps. Whelps! You might want to see this!" Nisa yelled in a rush. The other officers looked at her as Whelps left the body to check on his partner. His face was filled with perplexity, at least until Nisa handed him the paper. Whelps looked at it, unsure of what it meant.

"What is this, Nis? I think this is just trash, honestly," he said in full honesty (honestly, he did), trying to shield the weak paper from the polarizing rain. Nisa glared at him.

"Don't you see, Whelps? The ink that was over there, the same ink from every case? I think that's the ink that used on that paper. I'm sure of it!" she yelled, pointing at the paper, filled with delight and horror at the same time. Whelps looked at it again, and then looked down at the ink splattered on the ground. He seemed to nod.

"Were going to have to get this analyzed first, but you might actually be on to something there, Nis," He said, looking at the paper even closer than before. He peered at it closely. "Seems to be a name-"

"Yeah, I know that name, Whelps. If that ink was in every area, then that could be a message from the murderer, and I have a horrible feeling that that person on the paper is in danger," Nisa interrupted, getting filled with excitement.

"Really? Who is it?" Whelps asked, trying to decode it himself.

Nisa then told him, and when she told him her occupation, he was caught off guard, literally almost bringing him down to the wet ground.

The name was Uni, Lastation's CPU candidate.

* * *

**RECENT FAIR RETELLS LAN16 LEGEND**

Play tells about the Downfall of the arduous nation

* * *

Ah yes, the 40's; such a splendid time in the land of Gamindustri. A time where men wore 30,000 credit suits and the women wore elegant dresses; a time where fedoras and updo's were common, along with everyone having 32 hi-def camera's capturing every emotion on their faces, making it rather uncanny when you saw people smiling; a time where thick accents were prevalent, and cars had to be built like tanks in order to be considered "safe." Man, back then video games didn't even exist in the nations, though people got by via performing whatever stereotypical thing people did back in the 40's, such as jazz performing. A wonderful time it was, especially in the land of Lan16.

Lan16 was a bright land, using the colors of blue and orange to fully specify their superiority compared to their neighbors, which at the time was Planeptune (I believe it was still called this) to the direct north, and Pippion to the northeast (it sadly died out in the 50's, soon to be replaced by various lands, Lastation being the current land). The leader was of course a Goddess (some things never change, I presume), this Goddess being that of Turbo, a beautiful maiden with possibly the longest orange hair anyone has ever seen. She built the cities in her nations to look rather, eh, blocky, with buildings all appearing classic and vintage compared to the other nations, who strived to make their buildings look more futuristic. Due to advancements, she was constantly bickering with the other Goddesses nearby, which were Planeptune's (name has been forgotten by me, sadly), Ringo of Pippion, IBez of Inoch Benio Mater (another nation that died in the coming decades), and Lowee's (name is also lost. Lowee at the time was referred to as "Supendo").

However, while Lan16 is often considered a wonderful and peaceful nation, pirating of various substances was common, leading to various gangs being made to take the substances by force. Miss Turbo issued her men to control this situation, which lead to some strict policies on the street, a decision that was considered terrible. Another common problem within the land was the rampant cases of bizarre diseases, something that was never really explained by the time of Lan16's collapse. Turbo felt that the illegal substances and the disease were connected, which is why when she discovered Ghost, she grew all-too suspicious over his "medicine-man" job, and sent her guard to obtain him.

Ghost was a man who wore fancy tuxedo's and had a terrific smile that captivated his audiences. It was never clear where he lived, but whatever the case he was always out on that street corner, holding a booth with his home-made medicine, where he sold his inventions to those too sick to go to a regular doctor. He was clearly suspicious, but the medicine he sold to his peers surprisingly cured them of whatever disease they ended up obtaining, making him a local legend. Everyone could recite his exact words whenever he tried to sell his "live-saving" medicine:

"Get your pills here! Lowest cost you'll ever see in your lives! Cures every single disease that has ever existed on this planet! Get your pills while supplies last!"

To many he looked like a stereotypical salesman, but he kept his word on the medicine, which always worked no matter what. This is what alerted Turbo, who feared that the medicine had something behind it, something that could prove fatal in the future. One random day when the sun was shining, her soldiers arrested Ghost while he was selling a bottle of pills to a little child, being forced into a truck that dumped him straight to Turbo's Basilicom, where he faced a rather mad Goddess. Wow, you should have seen his surprise!

"Tell me," Turbo began to say when Ghost became aware of where he was, "What is your real name? Surely 'Ghost' is but a mere facade to your true name, yes?"

Ghost was quite alarmed that he was brought in front of the Goddess in such a terrible way, shaking from top to bottom, breathing heavily. Besides his fancy clothing, he was rather skinny (not deathly, just lacking some extra muscle that every woman adored), and his hair was in shambles. Topped off with him being pretty small, he was pretty funny to look at. Compared to Turbo, he was a mess, street trash to be exact. Turbo, I guess, could be compared to Magic the Hard, one of ASIC's goons from Arfoire's legion. She had long, flowing orange hair that reached straight to the floor, with her elegant body looking so professional and beautiful; he swore that she was a true god in form and elegance. She was tall, powerful, and beautiful, everything that he wanted in a woman. Those orange, slanted eyes of hers gave her a sense of dominance, and the perpetual frown that stood quietly on her face gave her the image of a matron that surely didn't want to be disturbed, which is what Ghost was doing now.

"A mute? Surely a man who can scream to get his pills can speak to a woman, am I correct?" Turbo asked, an eyebrow being raised as she looked none-the-amused. Ghost looked at her, blinked nearly 30 times, before growing a sweat that covered him. Wasn't he just on the streets, curing the needy? Seriously, in two paragraphs, he switched settings rapidly? Truly strange, but Turbo wasn't the type of lady that bothered with people who refused to answer. The various soldiers in the room eyed him, some adjusting the weapons in their possession, just in case, you know? Ghost was delightfully perplexed, his lip trembling. Such a sorrowful sight for a man in a rather perfect Basilicom, which was adorned of course with orange, along with extrinsic designs that gave it a nice flare; this whole scenario was embarrassing.

"Last time I'll demand an answer, before your head will be adorning my dresser."

Ghost yelped, finally realizing that he was positioned to be kneeling before the Goddess, quickly scrambling up to his feet, looking like a little child who just did something stupidly naughty. He looked at the Goddess, and was quickly entranced by her loveliness. Such an angel she was in his eyes, hearts nearly popping about in his field of vision, accompanied by flowers and other lovey-dovey objects, encircling the beauty in front of her. Good golly, he thought, she's a perfect being.

One of the soldiers clicked his rifle, and Ghost quickly shut up his thoughts, making his clutch his fedora, breathing heavily.

"N-no ma'am, my name is Ghost. I-I adopted it during my childhood, because my other name…well, sucked, and it fits perfectly as my business name. You must have heard my motto by now! 'Take me pills now, or you-'"

"'-Won't stand a Ghost of a chance.' I have heard the motto being repeated by various townsfolk," Turbo interrupted, quickly making that smirk on Ghost's face fade away, his hands crushing his trusted hat as his muscles tightened. Turbo began to step towards him, walking rather eloquently, looking like the richest woman alive (at the time, she probably was). Ghost's lips trembled once more, but his mind was sent fluttering. He has never met a woman as perfect as hers.

"So you heard it, then, um…well…" Ghost stumbled, scratching the back of his head as Turbo walked by him, now behind him without a care. Luckily for the salesman, the soldiers that used to be behind him were now walking off, still in the massive room but now more lax than before. Ghost cautiously looked behind him, looking at her rather impressive dress behind, before facing forward again, trying not to disrespect the highest person in the hierarchy of Lan16. He felt like crying.

"Oh please, madam Turbo, do use mercy on this non-worthy soul. I do not know what I possibly did to be summoned here in your presence, but if it is something that bothers you, I will surely stop it. That is a Ghost promise!" Ghost said sheepishly, feeling as though the spotlight wanted him dead.

"My friend, I hear the plea in you voice, but unfortunately I cannot spare mercy on the crime you have been committing. Forgive me, for you do not appear to be a bad man, but what you're doing is not tolerated. Do you know what I am referring to?" Turbo said rather nonchalantly, folding her arms behind her back, never turning to face him. Ghost made a gulp.

"I-I'm not really sure, my madam. I…I abide by the policies you have made, and not once have I broken one…"

"Forgive me, but I heard a lie. Surely you know that you can't sell substances off the street unless you have a license to sell, and even then, a building must be used for distribution. Forgive me, dear Ghost, but unless you can prove to me that you have a license and a building, I am forced to accuse you as a member of a gang, and thus you will be sent to life imprisonment," Turbo interrupted, still refusing to look at Ghost, who now froze, completely frozen in his state of disgusting fear. Life imprisonment? That would be the end of it all, wouldn't it?

"Need a license? M-Miss, I do have a license on me at this second, if you want to look at it. Please, miss, my products are completely safe, life-saving, even. Just ask any of my customers, they'll tell you!" Ghost proclaimed, fishing through his left-chest pocket, before Turbo turned dramatically towards him, stopping him dead in his tracks. Turbo began to move towards him, motioning over one of her soldiers, one who probably wouldn't mind shooting his head off.

"Search for him," Turbo demanded. The soldier nodded, tossing away his rifle as he went to Ghost, who was quite disturbed as the soldier rummaged through his chest-pocket, feeling everything that could possibly fill in the space. As he did so, the soldier just stared at the salesman, though Ghost couldn't tell, for a visor blocked his eyes. The soldier pulled out a slip and opened it up, showed it to Turbo, and soon both of them nodded. Ghost was still frightened, but seeing them nod made him feel slightly more at ease. Slightly.

This is a really inappropriate thought right now, but Turbo is quite the looker. Jeez, why must we be introduced in such a manner?

Turbo finally smiled, and personally handed back the slip of paper, which Ghost took with great reluctance. "It seems you do have a valid license, dear Ghost, but that only covers half of the requirements I demanded. Why do you sell your products in the streets? Do you not have a building of your own? Every person with a license to sell such medicine as you receives a free area to sell, do they not?" she stared him down, and Ghost still felt frightened.

"Well, madam, you see, when I got the license, I never received the other half of the deal. I would've brought it up, but you see I was indeed scared at the time. Please, if I need a place to sell, I'll look for one. Just let me go free and continue my business!" Ghost said, barely being able to keep his composure, hoping mercy will be placed on his soul. He heard her laugh.

"Dear Sir, you mustn't be afraid of asking about it. A strong man such as you should be more confident. Well then…" she said, before clapping her hands, which caused another soldier to run up. She whispered something in his ear, looked at Ghost, and then continued to whisper. The fear that was prevalent in Ghost has now diminished into full-fledged confusion. In what felt like an eternity, the soldier and Turbo stopped their talking, and looked straight at him.

"Miss Turbo has told me that you will receive your own land for distribution of the medicine you currently sell," the soldier said, sounding exactly like a robot, standing tall like a statue. The face of Ghost lit up, his happiness unequal. Not only did a beautiful maiden tell him that he could still sell his life-saving drugs for profit, but he was finally getting his own home. Such happ-

"…If, and only if, you could prove that your medicine truly works," Turbo added, now looking like a snarky woman rather than that of royalty. Ghost lost that happy feeling, wondering why she would demand he look like a man of fraud?

"I know that you are not a man of misery and grief, but in order for me to feel safe in this bargain, I must have confirmation that your medicine works, rather than being a hidden ploy of another drug, or nothing at all," she added, still looking at him with those serious eyes. Ghost breathed in hard. Eh, what can you do? It was a reasonable thing to ask.

"Sure I can prove that my medicine works. I have served hundreds of people here in Lan16; there's bound to be at least one who can vouch for me. Why, maybe one of these guards here has received some medicine from me, right?" Ghost asked, frantically looking around the room.

It was as though Turbo knew on cue to also look around, though she did it with more grace, of course. The soldiers themselves looked about, looking at one another, trying to see who would be the one to step out and face the music. It felt like an eternity, just waiting for that one person to speak, when finally a lone soul stepped forward, gun holstered, visor shaking as he stood prompt. Turbo eyed him, and within seconds he said:

"I-I went over to him last month because…I had that horrible flu. I took his medicine, and less than one hour I was cured, completely. Gosh, I never felt more alive in my entire life. You remember that, Turbo, right? I was hacking all day, and once that medicine kicked in, I was on the top of my game!" the soldier fumbled with his words, and began to step back. "I-I think Ghost could be trusted. Hey, I didn't die, right?" he continued. The soldiers looked around, all nodding in agreement. Turbo looked surprised, as Ghost gave a smirk of undoubted assholishness.

"Hm, one of my own men supports you," Turbo said with a slight chuckle, covering her orange-red lips with her hand, adorned with black elbow-long gloves. "If one of my own men could safely say that you're genuine, then I can't say no more. Ghost, you are free of your charges," she started to say, before once more clapping her hands. Another soldier ran up, and Turbo stood tall, her hair swaying in the wind.

"Ghost, this gent will assign you your own building, as long as you sell your medicine strictly for healing purposes, as well as in the benefit of our economy. Do we have a deal, sir?" Turbo asked with genuine sincerity. Ghost 's eyes lit up, his scrawny appearance shaking in delight.

In his mind, he said My lord, she's a beauty beyond compare. How magnificent it is for such a man as I to meet her, face-to-face, while others are refused by design! A happy victory for me, to all who have ever doubted me! Oh, I shall never break this deal; I'll make my medicine work wonders on Lan16, stimulate this economy, if only for the presence of being with you, my lady. Ah, I must know more about you, kind-hearted Goddess! I will delight you with everything I got!

In words, he said "Yes, oh yes we have a deal! You won't regret this, my lady! Surely not!"

With that, Turbo sent him off with the officer, who was a bit disgruntled to be carrying along a medicine salesman who looked to be loonier than let on. Still, Lan16 was facing major problems with disease, and with Ghost apparently healing many people with said diseases, he was surely needed. Surely the decision was a good one, one that she wouldn't regret in the long run.

Oh, how we could never see the truth behind our decisions until it was far too late. Far, far too late.

* * *

(Back to the present)

8:55 AM

"Are you positive that Uni is next, Nis? I mean, how does this paper relate to the case at all? It could just be a nut writing her name constantly-"

"Whelps, did you forget? You must build up your hero intuition! The ink on this paper matches the random ink that's been everywhere at every crime scene!"

Nisa and Whelps were sitting in the police vehicle, going over whatever case notes they managed to make, both trying to piece everything together after waiting for the newspaper story to stop interrupting them.

Whelps rubbed his chin, once more freaking Nisa out as the hi-def camera's made the skin look too realistic. "Just having to make sure, Nis. I never met Lady Black Heart in person, but I heard that if she's disturbed for no reason-"

"Yeah, yeah, she freaks. I went on an adventure with her for nearly a whole year. I think I could remember her outrages. Still Whelps, if Miss Uni has the possibility of being next in line on this evil conveyor belt, we must commence the warning and full-time protection!" Nisa interrupted once more, throwing Whelps off again. Nisa had fire burning in her eyes; could this lead finally be the one thing that will remove this evil doer from society? Oh, it shall be! It shall be!

Whelps looked back down at the note, attached to his small police journal. The ink indeed matched that of the ink littered all over the ground, complete with the messy blackish-spots thrown all about. Still, every time they followed the ink spots, they only reached evidence that proved useless in the long-run.

"I know what you're thinking, Whelps, but think about it. Maybe the ink spots always lead to clues that did prove useful; we just didn't see it! Oh, this case is getting exciting!" Nisa proclaimed, fire burning from within. Whelps sighed, once more doing that weird face of his.

"Look, the letter is indeed suspicious, but how do we know it actually relates to the case? It could be just a coincidence; a man here probably has an obsession with her, or maybe someone was trying to learn how to write, or something, and with that in mind, how could the other items we found relate to any of these cases? A golf-club? A teddy bear? Both of those objects didn't relate to the dead body at the scene."

"Yeah, but think once more, comrade. What if the objects weren't meant to represent the dead, but the next victim in line? This small letter probably means the creep is going after the candidate! The golf club didn't relate to the guy dead, but didn't it relate to the next victim, who liked to golf? C'mon, Whelps, you said you were the smart one!" Nisa retorted, feeling very accomplished, slapping her flat chest with honor. Whelps shook his head.

"Nisa, I get where you're going with this, but the problem is that we don't have every bit of evidence to prove your theory. I will admit that it is suspicious, but it could simply pass off as a coincidence," he said. Nisa grunted, looking rather angry at him. He continued: "Listen, we will go to the Basilicom and warn them, but all I could say is don't suspect a victory on your thoughts."

Nisa looked out the window at the falling rain. "Alright, Whelps, but soon you will see that my thoughts are correct!" she said, still smiling, that strange fang of hers protruding from her mouth. Whelps closed his case notes and started the car. The radio kicked on, and 5pb.'s latest hit single, "Grasso Fields Forever," began to blare out (that last part of the song equally scared both Nisa and Whelps, let me tell you). Whelps turned the ignition on, sighed as he knew that this idea might get him a stern yelling from the CPU herself, and began to put force on the ped-

Thud!

Both Nisa and Whelps looked to the right window, and saw the dead body, that of the victim that they just confirmed dead, breathing heavily on their window, punching the glass, growling with every hit.

All Nisa and Whelps could do was do a rather comedic "Ahhh!" in unison. Whelps's instinct kicked in, causing his foot to push forcibly down on the gas, making the vehicle move at top speed. Nisa looked back, seeing the…thing getting pushed away from the sudden movement, before climbing back up to his feet, scrambling towards their moving vehicle. A couple of policemen began to chase the once-dead victim, and shots were indeed fired, scaring off any pedestrians that happened to be watching from afar. Nisa wanted to know if they got him (they most surely did), but before that sight could occur, the street curved, and a building obscured the crime scene.

"So…" Whelps began, "the Basilicom is our destination!"

Nisa agreed with him, but she wasn't smiling anymore. Was that victim alive? Rotting, but alive? How in the world was that possible? Nisa never did encounter a zombie before, but seeing a thing that was at a point dead suddenly lurching forward and trying to attack was completely disturbing, in full honesty. That sudden fear and unnerving feeling she was experiencing before getting to the scene returned, and she felt horrible. Why did that thing come back to life? Was it ever dead? What was that flying specter she saw pointing at the message? Was Uni really next?

When the offer comes up, Nisa began thinking, I'm leaving the force. Way too much work and thinking. Going at this rate, this Heroine of Justice will have to hang her trusted scarf up!

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 1, para 1:_

"My, how much this weary soul has seen! To believe that life, as trivial as it is, can be whisked away within seconds is simply unbearable. To witness children die, to see many fall in anguish and despair; to see wives alone and afraid; to see soldiers lost along their way; to see Priests and Godly retributes succumb to the horrors of fatigue and woe; what can be said about life at all? What is our main purpose upon this world, if what we all see is simply millions dying along our road to the great beyond? Is there a purpose to be found, or are we doomed to wallow in our own misery? Perhaps...perhaps, and this is only a guess on the behalf of my part, a theory could be made about life itself, and if it is followed correctly, perhaps we will truly find our path through this unforgiving universe..."


	3. PART 1: Uni Runs into a Conflict

Chapter 04: In Which Two More Major Characters are introduced in Rapid Succession

Nisa was clearly panicking as she and Whelps rode on down the dusty streets of Lastation, heading to the Basilicom, ready to warn Kei, Noire, and Uni herself about the possible looming danger. At the same time, another CPU candidate was visiting Lastation, just walking out of a local theater, watching "Scratchface" with a fellow friend. She didn't think it was going to be that much of a violent film (she initially thought it was some form of comedy), but after leaving the dark room, she felt like she was going to throw up. It was cruel, sickening, crass, and overall rather unpleasant; she didn't like violent movies like that, but her friend non-surprisingly did. In fact, her friend was like her, a CPU candidate all in herself.

"Goodness, Uni. that was too violent for me."

Wait, did she just say the name "Uni?" shouldn't Uni be at the Basilicom, ready to be warned by the likes of Nisa and Whelps? Uh oh, I sense hilarious shenanigans, or possibly a strange scene...

Uni chuckled, opening up her umbrella as the rain soon came down. "Well, Nepgear, you were the one that thought freaking 'Scratchface' was a comedy. Didn't you see the banner ads over there on Planeptune? Voted 'Most Violent Film' this year should have given you a clue," she said to her friend, who apparently was Nepgear (was banking on it being Rom, for some reason). Nepgear got that "greater-than/less-than" eye-look on her face.

"Why didn't you warn me? I don't pay attention to banner ads, and even if I did, what if I read it wrong? If you knew the film was violent, why didn't you tell me?" Nepgear said, feeling angry, though she knew that she couldn't really get angry at Uni, who chuckled again.

"Sorry, Nepgear, but I just wanted to see your face after watching it! Truly it didn't disappoint," Uni said, smiling and laughing between breaths.

"Well it wasn't nice, Uni! That was pretty low," Nepgear retorted, growing of course angry, yet at the same time feeling like laughing as well. She knew that while Uni was pretty cruel, she knew that Uni only did it for fun, not for anything sinister. They were good friends, friends that complimented each other rather well. Uni moved the umbrella a little bit, allowing it to cover Nepgear's head as the rain came down harder (Nepgear forgot to bring hers, leaving it next to her bed back in Planeptune); she promptly thanked the Lastation candidate, though she was still a little irked.

"Whelp, I think we still got some free time. Want to do anything else? I don't really want to go home yet," Uni said, sighing as she splashed a puddle about on purpose. Unlike Nisa and Whelps, Uni and Nepgear were on a good side of the city, where the air was clear and the buildings looked more modern, and the grass and trees in the parks looked pretty green as Leanbox's. In the distance, the mighty basilicom stood proud against the gray clouds, looking like a dark, evil castle, though in reality it was possibly the safest building on the entire landmass. Why I felt that the last couple of sentences were needed is not important. This, however, is:

"Hm? Noire being angry again?"Nepgear asked, moving slightly closer to Uni in order to get full protection from the onslaught. Uni continued to look at the ground, though her cheeks turned red at Nepgear's sudden closeness.

"Y-you don't have to be so close! Anyways, yeah, she kind of is. Some stupid hiccup or something happened to the shares, and now she's studying everything, trying to figure out what happened. Kei seemed to be helping a lot more than I was, so I slipped out. Jeez, I'm going to be yelled at badly when I get back: one for sneaking out, and two for doing it so early. She really should take a chill pill once-in-a-while," Uni said, of course feeling weird that Nepgear still stood very close to her, though oddly she didn't attempt to move either. Nepgear looked at her friend concerned.

"Uni, you really should tell Noire that you want to leave, or have a break. She might right now be worried," she said, now placing her hand on Uni's shoulder. She flinched at first, but like moving, she didn't try to fend her hand off.

"Man, now you sound like her, Nep. sigh But I guess you're right. No sense in getting her so worked up when she needs to focus," Uni said, continue to walk in stride. A car passed by, accidentally splashing water on both of the girls. The guy in the car was about to laugh, but then he realized who he splashed, causing him to drive away quicker than allotted.

Being a year since the defeat of that Deity of Sin, Uni and Nepgear grew ever closer, becoming "bestee's," as Neptune would likely say. Noire was a lot kinder to her sister during the first couple of months of peace, but once that winter rolled in, her mood turned rather strict, being that Lastation started to fall into a sort of depression, as share's began to plummet far below the others (Lowee had the second lowest, with a world share of "22.5%, while Planeptune led the way with a staggering 34.1%.), for reasons currently unknown to even Uni. Noire grew restless, constantly trying to fix this problem, and while she did quite the job at keeping Lastation afloat, it was still far below the rest of the landmasses, a sad fate for a landmass that held the top spot for most of the year prior to the winter. Being now more violent, Uni decided to constantly sneak out, not wanting to deal with her sister, who most of the time neglected her and sometimes even herself. It was because of this that Uni became closer to Nepgear, becoming something more than just friends (_N-not in that way! Why would you even think that?_ Would be something Uni would say after hearing that). Whenever Noire did something bad to her, Uni would run immediately to Nepgear, who always helped her out of a small depression.

Whew, now that the exposition is out of the way, let's continue that previous scene, shall we?

Nepgear and Uni walked in silence for a little bit, before Uni finally said: "Okay, you know what? I should head home. I don't like saying this, but I think you're right, Nepgear. Maybe my sis is worrying about me." Nepgear gave a supportive smile, though it was diminished when Uni continued. "But if my sister yells at me badly, not worried at all, I will hurt you!"

"G-goodness, Uni, do we really have to resort to violence?" she said, feeling of course fearful, but also feeling happy, knowing that Uni wouldn't really do that. Right? Anyways: "Do you want me to follow?" Nepgear asked.

Uni looked at her, and then continued to look at the wet ground, looking rather sad. "Yeah, I guess. You don't really have to; I-it's not like I want you to follow, or anything," Uni said, focusing her attention on some gravel that looked misshaped. Nepgear nodded, knowing that Uni wanted her to follow, no matter what she said. Those kinds of things that she learned from Uni's personality always made her giggle. It just made the little candidate that much more adorable. Uni kicked a throwaway can down the sidewalk, smiling weakly. "I wished we were able to hang out more," she said in a mumble. Nepgear looked at her puzzled, prompting Uni to quickly say, "W-well, I mean it would keep me out of the house for a little bit, y'know? Don't think any differently, got it!"

"sigh Uni…" Nepgear said, continuing to walk in stride with her friend. The Basilicom grew bigger, and the amount of citizens that walked on the sidewalk diminished, now filled with soldiers who walked about, some idly chatting, some marching in rows, some practice-firing on wooden babyvaders. It was all peaceful and orderly, until Nepgear spotted something out on the horizon, between two huge buildings and out towards the sea.

"Uni, look. Is that another landmass over there?" Nepgear asked awestrucked by the massive object that was too south to be Leanbox. Uni looked up, moving her eyes widely for a second, before finally seeing the object, making her mouth silently say "Woah."

Way out in the distance, another landmass was visible, obscured by a heavy orange radiance. It looked to be overrun by a heavy dose of vegetation, as the whole edge of it was covered in a thicket of green and orange, There appeared to be a lot of mountains in the back, with what appeared to be a storm brewing nearby, evident by the big, black cloud that covered the oddly shaped peaks. It was rather wide, looking to be about the size of about three Lowee's, with another mountain range creating a boundary straight down the middle, both still covered in vegetation, though the right side appeared to be more modernized and lively, as lights were clearly visible protruding towards the sky. It was massive, and even though it appeared to be pretty far out in the distance, it was probably closer, hopefully not on a collision course with the rest of Gamindustri. That would suck, wouldn't it?

"Does anyone else notice it? Seems to be a pretty big thing to miss," Uni asked, eyes wide as the land mass captivated her entire mind. Both of them looked around, but all they saw were guards and soldiers, who apparently were more captivated by their own weapons than that of the seemingly-threatening unidentified landmass that could possibly be heading in their direction. Truly inspiring workers, they are. Hey, at least they're focused on the job!

"Um, I guess not. Hey, everybody! There's a landmass in the distance, and it might be heading towards us!" Nepgear shouted, sounding slightly serious, though it was easily passable as a make-believe call. Both of them watched the soldiers, who still continued to do…whatever soldiers did during their training. At least four of them looked at them, one waving to Uni, before going back to the useless tasks they were doing previously. Uni and Nepgear looked at one another, and then Uni patted a nearby soldier on the shoulder.

"Hey buddy, do you need glasses or something? Can't you see that looming landmass out there?" Uni shouted at the poor gent. The soldier looked at her, made a look to acknowledge that he was looking at a candidate, and peered off into the horizon. He seemed to see it, but he just shrugged, and continued to walk on. Uni shot him a glare, ready to punch the guy in the face, but Nepgear held her back. The rain came down harder, going from a drizzle to a straight downpour. Uni and Nepgear sighed.

"We have to warn your sister about this, Uni. If she's not aware of it, and it turns out to be dangerous…"

"I know, Nepgear. Jeez, now another worry…she'll never get a break, will she?" Uni said, feeling rather disgruntled, both at the thoughts in her head and the infrequent pattern the water hit the umbrella fabric. Both of them began to run straight to the Basilicom, running by the soldiers who were rather Jealous of the two candidates, being that their helmets were stupidly water-permeable (in fact, every nation had water-permeable helmets. What the goodness, indeed!)

* * *

Right around the time the two candidates ran into the basilicom, a car pulled up, racing through various soldiers who yelled at it in return. Normally the soldiers would open fire at any form of transport that wasn't authorized, but of course this particular car was authorized, being that two LSPD agents rode inside the metallic-cylinder. Still, reckless driving was something of a crime, so some soldiers still readied their rifles.

"Gee, I hope they're in there," Nisa said, watching as the mighty gardens in front of the Basilicom drew by, being nothing short of blur as Whelps sped along. While the rain smashed against the outer glass, the various soldiers shouted various profanities at them, ticking off this particular Heroine of Justice. _Yelling at fellow hero's? You all call yourself soldiers…_

"They must be. This storm's getting worse. I can't imagine someone hanging out during such conditions," Whelps said, slowing the car down as the entrance became clear. Two soldiers with flashlights stood on the sidewalk immediately near the entrance, directing their parking position through the heavy rain. The Basilicom was nothing but a dark shadow in the mighty fog being produced, appearing just like a dark castle in one of those classic horror movies. If it was less foggy and depressing looking, both of the detectives could've seen both Uni and Nepgear run into the mighty building, but no, they had to walk in, not knowing that Noire was positively pissed about something. They could've simply called out to the two candidates through the rain and ended it right there, but sadly the two of them had yet to experience the true rage of Lastation's CPU.

"Well, you go first, Nis. You said you had experience with her, right?" Whelps said, his hat being stained straight to the core from the relentless teary sky. It was quite noticeable that in his voice a gulp was prevalent. Nisa tried not to laugh.

"C'mon, Whelps, do I detect a sense of nervousness in your voice? Afraid of the CPU, aren't ya?" she started laughing, eliciting a glare from her comrade. "Just stay behind me, and I'll do the talking," she said, sounding so proud and delighted. Once more, though, through that cheerfulness her voice also was shaky. That thing was still visible in her mind, the thing that pointed to the note. She still felt shaken by the strange atrocity, but she was trying her best to ignore it.

"H-hey! I'm not scared or nervous! I just wish Our CPU chose a better color than a black hue. It looks rather unsettling in a rain like this," Whelps said, placing a hand over his fedora, trying to keep it from getting too damaged. That would suck.

Both walked in unison towards the gigantic doors, unaware of the hell that would soon be unleashed on both of them.

* * *

"Noire, has the paperwork been finalized?" The Oracle of Lastation, Kei, had asked the obvious Tsundere, Noire.

Our pleasant CPU Noire was sitting with a rather spiffy desk in front of her, with a rather hefty load of papers sitting in front of her, taunting her as they awaited filling out. Her body showed signs of fatigue, and her eyes were rather weary, but she still did her job. You had to commend her for that.

"Most of it has. For some reason, Midgard is falling below expectations once more. Man, can't they get their acts together?" she said, irritated as she usually was. Kei sighed, holding that strange little notepad of hers, shaking its papers as she entered deep thought.

"The mayor of Midgard demands that satisfactory sum they demanded two months ago. They are stating full allegiance with the rest of Lastation, but refuse to participate in anything unless this demand is met," she stated with that disturbing monotone voice of hers.

Noire groaned. "Dammit, can't that stupid monkey-of-a-man understand that his demand is impossible? There are just not enough shares at this moment," she said, feeling a horrible pain in her stomach, fatigue seriously taking its toll. She slumped down in her chairs. "Kei, what in the world are we going to do?"

Kei sighed as well. Just like Noire, she was also getting horribly inadequate sleep, trying to be the support for Noire, being the one who could get the numbers correctly every time. No one could identify what exactly happened the previous winter, where all of Lastation's shares plummeted to record lows, lows that weren't seen since the rise of ASIC. The other nations were quiet during this whole fall, though Planeptune tried to help (Neptune really wanted to help her "wittle-Tsundere"), which lead to a rejection from Noire herself. At this point, Noire really wished she accepted that offer, but she was still hesitant about seeing Neptune look so triumphant, while she looked like a weakling. Kei and Uni tried their best to help, but Uni soon started to falter, which Kei could understand, considering the torment Noire gives her during these stressful days. Kei tries everything possible, but even she could see that the end was probably inevitable.

"I'm not so sure, my lady. This is a horrible predicament that we wound up in. Do you want me to resume contact with the other Goddesses?" Kei asked, still looking as formal as ever, her eyes showing nothing but within showed worry. Noire quickly shook her head.

"N-no! I can't just do that! For one, Vert would politely decline, probably taking whatever I have left, Blanc would simply never answer, and if Neptune gets contacted…" Noire stopped talking, putting her hands over her face, a simplistic hiccup escaping through her enclosed palms. Was our delightful CPU crying? "I-I just don't want to look weak in front of them. I only do everything, but begging is not a part of that!"

Kei sighed, and seeing as how Noire went back to her work, she resumed her own duty (heh) and continued looking through her own stack of papers. Being an oracle was just as difficult as being the CPU, and because of that, equal amounts of work were always present between them. As she brought her pen down onto the clean, sheet of paper, a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Lady Black heart, may I happen to inquire where Uni might be this very morning? I do not remember her being here at all," Kei pondered, which sent Noire nearly flying out of her seat. It was hard to tell, since some of the papers went flying, but the rage in her eyes was indeed…furious.

"You know what, Kei? You're right; I haven't seen that squirt all morning. Oh, if she's still sleeping…" Noire shouted, standing up, fists clenched perfectly. Kei looked at her, still looking bored, though she was honestly worried. Noire began marching towards the halls, ready to enter Uni's room and eliminate her from this world.

Almost as though it was on cue, the two CPU candidates entered the Basilicom, slightly drenched as the umbrella began to dissipate from the constant water, which was coming down pretty violently out there. Uni quickly threw the wet appliance down onto the ground and ran straight to the central room, where Kei and Noire resided. Nepgear followed as well, finding that the Basilicom looked really sad, all dark at this time of morning, especially with that disturbing rainstorm currently going on.

Not exactly realizing what was happening in the room, Uni shouted "Sis, there's a landmass out in the distance and it looks dangerous and…"

Noire stopped in her tracks and quickly twisted her head to look at her going-to-be-dead sister, who froze at the sight of Noire's eyes, which looked pretty pissed, if you asked me. My, you could almost see the steam apparating from her nostrils! Uni was certainly dead meat right now. No, less than dead meat; she should get out of Noire's sight!

"Hey Uni, how are things?" Noire asked in the most disturbing monotonic voice you have ever heard. Uni gulped.

"Uhhh…"

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, YOU GODDAMN SLACKER OF A WOMAN?" Noire shouted, as evident by the big text in this paragraph. Uni, Nepgear, and even Kei jumped at the sudden rage, Uni shriveling up, holding her hands up as she attempted to shield her face. She knew that this was going to happen, and now that it was, she was instantly regretting returning home. She could've seen "PenUltimate Destination," but Nepgear had to talk her into going home. Ouch, that sucks, madam.

"I-I was…" she looked at Nepgear for some sense of guidance, but all she did was look away, her body shaking in fright. Apparently Noire hasn't noticed her yet, but Uni knew it was going to happen. Kei was looking at her work, so she wasn't really that much help either, leaving Uni as the Custom Bit caught in the headlights. She knew that if she said she was at the theater, Noire would end her right on the spot. The only other option was to lie.

"…at the Board of Council-like People-Something, yeah. I was trying to raise shares for us, you know?"

Her smile was sheepish, her stance was terrible, and her eyes were clearly shifty. If Whelps was there at that moment, he would immediately say "Lie" and check his notebook for proof; while he wasn't there, Kei happened to be. While she did sympathize with the Candidate that a lot of work was stressful to such a young girl, she never, ever, _ever, _tolerated lying, or simply leaving on the job. When Uni saw that terrible glare being thrown at her, her body all-but-froze, and she knew for a fact that she was dead. Noire noticed Kei's glare, and she suddenly grew even angrier.

"Don't…lie, Uni," Noire said, a voice so low, you swore that she was an ax-murderer instead of a CPU. Who knows, you could be both at the same time, in context. Uni gulped, her vision blurring as tears began to cloud her sight.

"Okay…" Uni said, almost in that of a whisper. Her head was bent down, her eyes watching her feet, which were rather shaky in her blurry sight. "I…went to the theater with Nepgear…"

Noire looked at her, completely enraged, yet at the same time calm, freaking the other three out (Kei looked impassive, of course). Nepgear heard her name being said, and she knew that her end was now. Noire looked at her, and then back at Uni, eyes filled with contempt and fatigue. "I expected Uni to do this, honestly," Noire said, deliberately hissing as she said both "Uni" and "honestly." Uni continued to look at the ground, small droplets being formed on the floor as tears fell from her eyes. Her gaze simply never changed. "But you, Nepgear…sigh, I expected better from you."

Nepgear heard those words, and her head went into the same position that Uni had. Uni didn't look up at any point, but she did indeed say "Don't yell at Nepgear for this. I persuaded her to come with me. Leave her out of-"

"Do you think I care who was responsible for leaving without notifying me first? Uni, sit down right there," Noire interrupted, hanging her index finger out in the air, pointing at a lone chair standing in the corner. Whenever Uni was causing havoc when she was young, she would be punished by being forced to sit in a chair away from everyone else. Uni gulped. Noire looked over at Kei (who was busy crunching numbers), and then stared at Nepgear, who was looking at the ground, but felt the terrible burning that was Noire's gaze. "Nepgear, go home. Now!" she shouted her voice loud and clear, but hidden deep was the prevalent sense of exhaustion.

While she feared that her tongue will truly cause the end of the world, Nepgear still decided to say "N-Noire, please be easy on Uni. We can help Lastation, Neptune and I, if you just accept our invitation-"

"Go! I'll never accept your nation's help!" Noire once more shouted, her hand standing out in the air as though this scene was dramatically dramatic. Nepgear yelped, hunching as though she feared she was about to be hit. Uni looked at her, feeling guilty, but Nepgear just made a small hand-motion signaling her friend not to worry. In full honesty, Nepgear worried more about Uni then herself at this point, though she knew that Uni should've mentioned hanging out with her, even if it was denied.

Knowing that Noire was probably going to kill her, Nepgear decided to head to the station, hoping that another train was there for Planeptune (after ASIC fell, the trams have gotten rather better, being more modernized and quick on their treads). She began her long walk through the rather dark Basilicom, praying that Noire would spare some mercy on her little sister, until-

"My Lady! Detective Joe Whelps and Detective Nisa, LSPD: Homicide. We must arrange a meeting with you!" Detective Joe Whelps shouted, echoing all about the long hallway, both of the detectives pushing down Nepgear as they ran straight forward. Noire, Uni, and Kei could only stare dumbfounded at the strange guests, who were both soaking wet, dragging puddles along the finely made ground as they walked. They were out of breath, apparently being chased by rookie soldiers who felt they were both threats, regardless of what others soldiers stated.

"Oh Polygonal Gods, this day won't end, will it?" Noire groaned, feeling as though the fates were aligned to screw her up as best as possible. Kei stood and somehow drew out two big towels from underneath her seat, handing them to the bumbling detectives, who promptly took them, feeling rather relieved to finally be dried. Nepgear decided to walk back into the room, though she hid behind the two new guests, still afraid of Noire, who became even more enraged. Nepgear looked at Uni, who just shrugged, not entirely sure what in the world is going on. Kei just continued her work, knowing that Noire would deal with them.

"Miss Noire, forgive us heroes for interrupting this work, but the 'Mighty' Nisa and 'Almost-Mighty' Joe Whelps have a major crisis on our hands, a crisis filled with the evil deed of murder, and it apparently involves…" Nisa raised her hand in the air, hamming up her delivery, while Joe Whelps questioned his title given, "…Miss Uni, who luckily for us remains seated in this very room!" With that, the declaration commonly made by Nisa concluded, and her audience was none-the-wiser. Joe Whelps performed a face-palm, so embarrassed right now.

Noire eyed him. "A crisis involving Uni? Look, before we continue, who are _you_? I hired Joe Whelps personally for….this is for that murdering case, right? Anyways, for this case, but I don't know who _you_ are," Noire stated, eyes closed, showing some visible Periorbital dark circles (big phrase, hoorah!) around the eyelids. Nisa jumped, her own eyes growing big.

"Wh-who am I? I'm Nisa, part of the LSPD. Hell, before that, this heroine of Justice traveled with you to defeat that evil organization. Remember how we beat up that…oh, what was her name? Underling, I think? Come on, you remember!" Nisa proclaimed, looking so proud, though her muscles were slightly twitching. She watched Noire, waiting for that "Oh, I remember" face, but all Noire did was look perplexed.

"You really don't remember me, do you?" Nisa asked, feeling all forms of disappointment. Noire could only shrug, making Uni and Nepgear chuckle, Whelps just rolling his eyes. Noire groaned angrily.

"No, I apparently don't. Whelps, what the hell is this crisis? Is this really the murder case? Did you get any new leads yet?" Noire asked, feeling impatient, though knowing that she was talking to a trusted individual, her temper went down, if only by a little. Nisa began to sulk, feeling as though she was deliberately ignored by the CPU. Whelps made that disturbing face once more.

"We didn't get anything that could lead us to the murderer, but we happened to find something that looked rather suspicious," he said, pulling out his trusted Detective booklet. He took out the soggy paper from one of its pockets and unfolded it, once more showing the messy writing of Uni's name, now even more distorted due to the moisture (Whelps put some sort of fabric over it, but it didn't really work). "This paper was spotted in the crime-scene. Nisa found it tangled up in the bushes, next to ink spots that so far been at every scene. It says 'Uni,' and apparently that's…her," Whelps continued, looking at Uni. Pretty soon everyone looked at Uni, making her feel rather weird.

"Me? Why me? I don't even know that much about the murders!" Uni proclaimed, feeling the pressure of being under the spotlight. Nepgear looked at her funny, Kei looked at her bored, and Noire looked nothing more than slightly amused. Uni suddenly had a feeling of dread wash over her.

"I don't know, fellow CPU Candidate, but seeing as how your name is written in the same ink from the rest of the cases, you are currently being placed in full protection-mode. Tell me, kind Candidate, is there anybody here in Lastation that would want to end your life in such a cruel manner?" Nisa asked Uni, once more not sounding anything like an actual officer of the law. Noire snickered.

"Full protection-mode? Maybe Uni doesn't deserve that, considering how she thinks she is so independent from us, disobeying rules like no tomorrow. Maybe Uni would rather defend herself, hm?" Noire said, pulling out that weird face where one of her eyes turned into a threatening sparkle. Uni felt shafted.

"Wh-wha? Sis, you're cruel! I don't think this creep will hurt me, but don't you care about my well-being?" Uni proclaimed, trying to hold back a tear that desperately tried to fight through her ducts.

"Well, of course I care, Uni, but I don't care for people who refuse to even care for their superiors' feelings. How could you just wander out without notifying me? There's a killer out there, and if he really does want you dead, you…could have been, and I would never know!" Noire shouted, her voice growing in intensity, causing a rather violent echo that made the various soldiers outside jump. The rain only intensified with the angry beat. Uni could see some tears beginning to grow in her sister's eyes, but she was attempting to hold them back. Were they of anger, remorse, worry, or none, or possibly both? Hard to tell when the subject is a tsundere.

Nisa looked at both of the bickerers in front of her, and decided to break through the heavy atmosphere. "Well, hey, no matter the current feelings, justice must be served, and darling Uni must have full-protection from the violent offender that so far claimed too many lives. Please, Miss Noire, we must protect your little sister!" Nisa proclaimed, having fire deep within her eyes churned with the power of retribution. Oh, you should have seen it, lads; the power was so mystic!

Noire shook her head, looking at the floor. She was clearly letting the anger take over her mind, clouding any form of intuition that the Tsundere could possibly have thought of; in a normal situation (if a murderous situation could ever be considered normal), she would have easily given her sister the protection she would need. Sadly, the whole share debacle had ruined her feelings, and her current displeasure with her sister has caused this leader to become rather…complex. If Kei wasn't there, she probably would have done the murdering for the killer.

"Lady Noire, I understand your current standing with Candidate Uni, but you must think rationally. You are the leader of this nation, and though we fell upon rough times, you must still take care of your sister. I will recommend protecting her, in case this disgusting excuse of human conception truly believes that the death of Uni will satisfy his palate of inhumane fetishes. You must still serve your responsibility as a role model to her and the rest of the nation, and denying her right to safety clearly derides the rules you have set up within the articles of the Lastation Constitution. Do I happen to make my words to you clear?" Kei had finally stated. Even in the weary state she was stuck in, Kei was still fully capable of proclaiming such humongous words, easily hurting the ears of Noire (she could tolerate Kei's words well, but it was still hard to fully take in). All the CPU could do was sigh.

"I know Kei, I lost my temper. Whelps and whoever-you-are, please protect her if that's required," Noire said, looking as though she was about to pass out. She quickly turned to face Uni, who felt frightened once more. "But, if I ever find that you left without telling me again, I'll kill you myself. Got that?" Noire demanded, staring down her sister, treating her like the scum she thinks she is.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Uni said, looking down to avoid the deathly gaze of her too-powerful sister. Whelps and Nisa shrugged at one another, while Nepgear could only watch, knowing that Uni did deserve the yelling, yet for some reason she felt like yelling at Noire, angry that she was yelling at Uni like that. She shook off the feeling, knowing that it was her mind acting in such strange ways.

"Well, I'm glad this conflict could be resolved. We will set up a couple of extra policemen to be stationed here. I will say that Uni should for now be escorted and carefully monitored wherever she goes," Whelps stated, filling out something in his hand pad, eyeing Nisa, who seemed to nod (some form of police communication Noire and Uni couldn't understand, though Kei did somehow).

"Hey, I'm not a prisoner or anything! I don't have to be monitored. Jeez, I don't want to go everywhere with a stupid bob!" Uni yelled, standing from the chair she once was perched in. Nisa shrugged unassuringly to her, and Noire let out another laugh, though pain was still prevalent within her vocal cords.

"Well, consider this punishment for leaving in the first place. Now I just need to find somebody to escort you. Going to need more than police, probably. Eh, I guess I could get some soldiers-"

"I-I'll watch over her!" Nepgear shouted, making the reader remember that she was still in this scene. Everyone looked back, and Nepgear made a sudden "eep!" as glares filled the room. Noire was ready to freak out, Uni was shocked and angry at the same time, Kei just looked at her impassively, Whelps made that freaky face again, and Nisa jumped and hit the ground, completely freaked out, not knowing that Nepgear was even there to begin with.

"Nepgear! Didn't I tell you to _leave?_" Noire yelled, feeling the disturbance of a vexing feeling within her. Nepgear saw the fire spewing from Lastation's CPU's mouth, and she knew that her death was right around the corner. Still, looking at the shocked Uni, she decided to stand her ground. "Besides, not that I don't trust you, Nepgear, but I highly doubt Uni would want to be escorted by you."

"I…I'll be escorted by her. I-it's not like I want her to or anything, but I mean, I'll feel more comfortable if I'm with her than some strange looking men!" Uni interrupted, raising her hand in the air, her tsunderish-instincts showing themselves. Noire committed a face palm, and Kei remained silent at her desk, now focused on her calculator. Nepgear was indeed surprised that Uni said that; in honest opinion, she thought that Uni would be too stubborn to agree with Nepgear's decision.

"I think that is a good idea, fellow Candidate! Uni was always good and obedient when Nepgear was around, so that will be a good combination. The murderer wouldn't stand a chance against them~!" Nisa shouted, giving the thumbs-up for Nepgear, who had some pretty oval-eyes as she didn't understand the excitement. Whelps sighed.

"I will admit, if that's the case, then we could do that-" Whelps began to say, before Kei finally spoke up:

"Nepgear could be trusted, that is a clear fact. However, she is a Candidate of another nation, so she cannot have the ability to protect Uni because of her duties as one of the leaders of Planeptune. Forgive me, Miss Nepgear, but your request cannot be fulfilled," she said so monotone-ish that you had to wonder if she even understood what she even said. Nepgear stifled her gasp, before she let it out, feeling of course disappointed. Uni didn't show it, but deep in her muscular complexion, she looked disappointed. She really did not want random soldiers to be around her all the time; with Nepgear, it would be at least fun, not that she really wanted Nepgear with her, anyways.

Noire made a rather perplexing "hmph" noise. "Well, that settles that! Look, Nepgear, I like you and all, but even I knew that plan was going to fail in the end. Listen, Uni will be fine with a couple of soldiers and policemen. I don't understand the problem. Besides, she won't be moving around a lot, anyways, since she'll be here with me, helping, hopefully," the CPU stated, strangely looking proud in herself. From the corner of the eye, it was easily noticeable that Kei sighed. Uni pouted, looking back at Nepgear, looking to be on the verge of tears. She never was strong when she wasn't allowed to make her own decisions.

"Well, alrighty then, Uni will be constantly protected by your own soldiers and a couple of our top dogs~! We shall set up some form of defense, in case our fellow candidate here truly is next on this list of horrors!" Nisa said, head nodding in agreement with her very words. Whelps held his hand up, calming down his partner.

"Listen, before we could fully do that, we will have to question Miss Uni here, just to see if we could get any leads. Is that okay with all of you?" Whelps asked, looking about at the major parties of Lastation. Noire looked at Uni, who was looking at her foot, completely motionless in despair (getting yelled at and being revealed to be the next up for being murdered probably didn't mix well with her), and then at Kei, who simply looked back at the Goddess, nodding in confirmation. Nepgear silently watched Uni, wanting to do something, though she ultimately feared taking action at this time. How did Lastation become like this?

"All right, if you must. Uni should be obedient," Noire said, shifting her gaze over to Nepgear, who happened to notice rather early. "Nepgear, I'm sorry to sound so rude, but I must ask you to leave. This is purely now a Lastation problem and I don't want anyone from Planeptune getting involved with this. _Especially_ your sister," she said, trying to sound somewhat sympathetic, though unfortunately her voice came out dark and suspicious.

Uni could only look at Nepgear. "Miss Noire, I understand, but I could try and make time…" Nepgear began to say.

"Now, Nepgear!" Noire yelled, now looking rather pissed. Nepgear yelped and jumped back. Uni, fearing she was about to fall, got up, but Kei motioned her to stay put. Nepgear managed to keep her balance, but felt rather horrible.

"I-if you say so, Miss Noire. Please, be easy on Uni, okay?" Nepgear said, a clear tear forming in her right eye. Uni looked sullen, raising her hand to stop her friend, but Nepgear did eventually turn-heel and began to once more head back out the door, back home to the land of Purple Progress, or something like that. Nisa and Whelps looked at one another and shrugged. The rain simple continued to fall, smashing against the glass of the windows.

Nepgear was about to exit the mighty Basilicom when out of nowhere-

"Miss Noire, Miss Noire, you must see this! On the telescreen, _the _5pb. is performing live at Leanbox!" A random soldier announced, pushing open the heavy doors, trampling into the Basilicom, flattening Nepgear on the floor in the process. Noire and the rest looked over, her face showing complete rage. Jeez, how many people are going to be running through the doors today? Seriously…

"Halt, soldier! Why do you find it necessary to interrupt my work to announce something like that?" Noire demanded, her teeth clenched, obviously hurting her to a high degree. The soldier quickly shuffled back, but his ambitious smile still remained on his face. You could tell that he was wrapped up in the whole "5pb." craze.

"But Miss, this live broadcast is truly important! I don't know if you approved of this show, but it's for the benefit of us. Seriously, it's called 'Concert for Lastation!' Oh man, it looks-"

"What the hell?" Noire quickly shouted after hearing the title. Like a speeding bullet, Noire was out of sight, only a puff of smoke being the remains of her previous posture. Uni and Kei looked around, confused and disturbed over the strange disappearance. Nisa and Whelps looked confused, as did the soldier, who was trampled down as Noire ran at the speed of sound, quickly into the soldier rec room, even though she had her own room to watch the broadcast (she didn't know the channel, so that could explain her destination).

"Come, Uni, we must follow your older sibling. I fear the worse if this concert does not match her approval," Kei said, still sounding void of emotion. Uni looked at her, stared at the boyish-women for quite possibly the longest time, before she nodded, getting up and following her oracle, the soldier beginning to follow as well, limping as his leg dragged on the tiled floor. Nisa and Whelps were unsure as to what to do in this situation.

"Uh, do we just…" Whelps asked, making probably the most hideous face possible via 32 hi-def cameras as his face followed the pondering. He was thinking of just leaving until Uni was available, but Nisa began to run forward. Before he could ask her anything at all rational, Nisa stated:

"Come on, comrade Whelps, let us watch this broadcast! 5pb.'s music always builds up my confidence needed to ward off the mighty hand of evil! Hurry, I don't want to miss a single song!"

With that, Whelps found himself dragged off to wherever Uni and Kei were heading. They probably should get those soldiers and policemen up-and-ready for the call of duty, but no, concerts are always more important than a person's well-being! Right behind them followed Nepgear, who began to grow a headache after being stampeded not once, but twice in the span of 20 minutes. She knew that Noire would kill her if she saw her watching the concert, but Nepgear was a huge fan of 5pb., and thus she didn't want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (it probably wasn't once-in-a-lifetime, but Nepgear rarely saw 5pb. after the whole ASIC ordeal, besides that one concert held at Planeptune a couple of months ago). Why miss a free broadcast of a concert?

Still, she should probably contact Neptune soon; like Uni, she didn't necessarily notify her older sister that she was heading out. No, it wasn't to escape work, or escape the horrendous treatment from her sibling, but it was because she didn't want to disappoint Uni. Neptune was deep in sleep at the time, and Histoire was busy reading (the book that was her? I don't know); since they're the wealthiest nation in terms of shares and have a low-crime rate, there wasn't much to do besides hang out with others. Her sister wouldn't mind as much if Nepgear just left, though she would still be understandably angry when she discovers her sister gone, possibly stolen by a man with a criminal record the size of…can't say Lowee, but possibly Leanbox?

"I'll notify her after the concert. Hopefully she wouldn't be too angry at me," Nepgear said to herself. With that, she entered the rec room, where the others have gathered around the rather large telescreen display. Noire was fuming, Nisa and Uni were excited to see the show (thouhg you could still see the pain in Uni's eyes), and even Kei looked anxious, though over what emotion was currently unknown. On the screen, a man appeared on the stage, which looked rather impressive, adorned with all that psychedelic paint that was all the rage these days. There had to be about 20,000 people there; it truly was remarkable. The man wore a rather expensive suit, taking a microphone in his hands. Noire was shaking her head violently; ready to snap the soldier's neck that she happened to grab.

"Good Evening, Leanbox!"

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 30, para 3:_

"...And quite the knowledge we can receive from them, eh? I never had a sibling in my life, but I know of many who did, and let me tell you, they will always bicker to no end. Perhaps that has a theory all into itself, but the cruelest thing I have so far witnessed was when I heard that when a fight ever breaks out, someone always has to alter fate, and eliminate the other sibling. It is horrible, but sadly, it seems to have happened a lot lately..."


	4. PART 1: 5pb Plays Before a Nightmare

This is the last chapter in which I could say I was disappointed in. From here on out, unless people beg me to remove this tale, the story will hopefully improve in structure and style, as they are recently written rather than months old. Also, sorry for late update; a member of the family graduated.

* * *

Chapter 05: In Which the Idol Apparently Begins to Show her Real Colors

It was indeed true; all the way over in Leanbox, a live show was about to commence. It was strange to have a show so late into the evening time, but it apparently didn't matter; there were 20,000 people there, a rather hefty number for a concert that didn't support the green landmass. It had plenty of acts that night, from the Beat Alls, Tin Zeppelin, Cosby-Stalls-Mash-and-Old, to Big Sister and the Packaging Company and Plasma Illuminated Orchestra. However, while each of those bands were rather popular, everyone really came to see the appearance of the main event, the band that currently dominated the music industry, revolutionizing the entire concept of what it even means to perform music to the masses. They ended up pioneering the concept of albums being important, and brought in the genre of psychedelic rock to the mainstream. They were always critically acclaimed by the top reviewers, and their albums topped the charts in less than 10 seconds. It was all thanks to the front woman, who decided to follow her dream of being a… "Oracle" to music, and her band mates, who stuck with her during the whole duration of this year.

The band was Royale-5, lead by 5pb. on guitar and vocals, with the help of her band mates, comprising of a backing guitar, bass, keyboard, and of course the drums, with an occasional saxophonist joining the mix.

Like Nisa, Uni, and Nepgear, 5pb. was one of the many heroines that answered the Call of Duty to rescue the captured goddesses and take down the tyrannical forces of ASIC. Even before the adventure gave her the popularity she has now, she was an accomplished guitarist/singer, commonly performing to a well-loving audience in Leanbox, gaining her some underground popularity. However, while some of her records sold well in other nations, she was relatively unknown outside Leanbox, making her simply a local artist, performing the pop ballads that were popular at the time. When the adventure ended in success, a fellow maiden who went by as "Cave," one of Vert's (CPU of Leanbox) special agents, informed her of a chance to go on a world tour, which 5 understandably went on. From here, her charming music of pop and standard fluffiness attracted many to her, and soon she was Gamindustri's most popular artist.

About a month into the tour, however, when she was just wrapping up Lowee, 5pb. called the tour to a close, igniting massive confusion. Many felt that the stress of continent travel got to her, though the reality was far more simplistic. During her travels, now having the ability to explore the culture of every city imaginable, 5pb. was introduced to the world like never before. She saw in Lastation, traveled through the Minus World in Lowee, and even soared through the Green Hills of Planeptune, which made her mind spark with inspiration. She didn't leave the tour due to stress; she left because she wanted to record, without any form of delay impeding her progress. Thus, many will deem that the era of Psychedelic rock was born during this time.

She began recording that summer, commonly locking herself alone in the recording studio, writing the guitar parts and the lyrics. She of course had her band to help her, but the songs being recorded weren't the simplistic ones the band was used to recording. Full-fledge orchestra's were often included in the recordings, bringing in the potency of the lyrical-subjects to bigger prominence; speaking of which, the lyrics were starting to become more diverse, with darker subjects becoming the norm, along with more mystical styles appearing, with strange symbolic ideas appearing out of nowhere. Even with the full-time band, 5pb. wasn't even remotely satisfied, as she commonly explored the various foundations of other local music, possessing a sitar (Lowee), a Balalaika(also Lowee), a steel guitar (Lastation), a Dhak (also Lastation), a Harpsichord (Planeptune), and a Harmonium (also Planeptune) during her time recording. She commonly decorated the recording room in an assortment of colors (beginning the "multi-color" psychedelic era), and often wore classic-style clothing, compared to her original style of looking rather skimpy.

Songs were recorded, processed, and soon took form as a completely different experience compared to other singers. While the cheesy-pop song era went on outside, 5pb. began to craft the next era, recording the groundbreaking album "General Salt's Socially-Awkward Club Band," which threw in all of these instruments into one package. If one were to listen to one of her earlier albums compared to this fresh, new one, no one would be able to tell that it was the same person; 5pb. completely changed the scope of music forever, with rather perplexing songs like "Within Me Without You," "Being for the Benefit of Mrs. Kitty!" , "Good Evening, Good Evening," and of course "Norma in Space with Rubies" and "Life in a Day." Once that album smashed into stores everywhere, it was like the culture of each landmass changed overnight; people either dressed more formally, or switched to being more…ahem, "natural." The incarnation of the term "Hippy" began to grow, and soon the world viewed Royale-5 as role models and leaders of the whole "Hippy Movement," though 5pb. didn't like the term.

Of course, though, besides the band members, 5pb. was commonly helped by other souls that she knew. Her manager, that who is referred to as Epica (who we will meet in a short while), commonly helped her get whatever she needed for the songs, and the producer Harmoni helped organize the orchestra. However, her biggest help in terms of musical development was from her friend, IF, who was commonly present during the recording stages. She was the member of some guild here in Gamindustri, one of the major heroes during the fall of ASIC, befriending 5pb. during her travels. After the fall, IF vowed to protect the landmasses in case ASIC were to ever return, but to the rapid succession of peace, IF decided to wander the world, and when she saw 5pb. doing the same, they began to hang out much more often. IF wasn't the most musically-inclined person in the world (she didn't even know how to tell a G-Clef from a F-Clef or B-Clef), but due to her experiences, she was rather pretty darn good at writing poetry, though she didn't want to admit it (she didn't want to be called a sissy). 5pb. asked her to help her write a song (just to test her, you know?), which IF hesitantly accepted. She helped write "Grasso Fields Forever" and other such classics (along with most of the songs on "General Salt's"), effectively beginning the acclaimed formation "IF/5pb." writing team.

Soon other bands popped up, following the success of Royale-5, which continued to be the top of the heap, leading the revolution of peace along the way. Fashion changed, piracy grew to a rapid low, and the aesthetics of culture simply went full-circle with the past. It was as if the mind-set from the early days of Gamindustri finally returned, bringing back old customs that were once lost. The hippie was born, and it seemed apparent that every day, almost the entirety of Leanbox appeared to be in a daze, mostly from the possibility of strange…substances. While the CPU of this nation, Vert, does enjoy the musical talent of Royale-5, she despises the horrendous use of substances that began to rise in popularity, and because of this, she has kept a watchful eye upon the idol and her comrades. Her Oracle, Chika, on the other hand, publicly despises the idol and her 'mates (odd; could have sworn she liked the idol before. Possibly because of the substances?), always denying access for them to play anywhere, though Vert always overruled her call.

Earlier this month, 5pb. became fully aware of the crisis involving the lost shares in Lastation, and feeling immense pity (she knew the Goddess and her candidate rather well due to the travels), she decided to take part in the massive benefit concert, in hopes that other landmasses would hear the call for help for the struggling nation. She met many of her friends in the music industry (she was pretty social with other bands, which is always a good thing, considering her strange shyness (we'll go over that later on, as well, kind readers)), and each collaborated with one another, trying to build the best concert anyone could possibly make. There were a couple of singers who sang their earlier works before the shift to psychedelic, but most of the set list involved the recent songs of the day. There had to be 20 acts, but every one of those acts knew that the Royale-5 will receive the most attention. Frankly, no one had a really huge problem with that, except for 5pb. herself.

She was angry at how the culture she grew to love began to fall into a state of disrepair, all thanks to those horrific drugs that suddenly became the norm. While everyone praised her, thanking her for changing music and making creative choices in the studio, in reality 5pb. couldn't stand it. Indeed she enjoyed making music this way, but she didn't enjoy the fact that her influence caused various souls to partake in such heinous pleasures. Many of her friends tried to tell her that it was just a fad and that it will wear off in time, but 5pb. wouldn't accept that response. After a while, to blame herself for causing the drug use, and went into a spiraling depression. Her lyrics became even darker, and the sound came out more melancholic than ever before (worrying her 'mates, of course), earning her even more praise that she hated. She will perform at this charity concert, but she would do it because of Lastation's problem, not for the people who chose to go down a dark path.

Tonight, she will sing her heart out, beautifully but ultimately fraudulent.

* * *

"Good Evening, Everyone! How are you all, Leanbox?" The announcer shouted at the top of his lungs. The entire crowd went insane, as they always did whenever he said anything. 19 acts finished playing, and the crowd knew that the main event was finally coming. It had been three hours since the concert had begun, but the people were surely pumped-up, not even realizing that their minds and ears were probably dead from the constant rocking going on. In the air were the peaceful quaintness of love and the haziness of hallucinogens, mixing in with the cleanliness of the air, possibly making everyone drunk with the strangeness of the unknown. It was such a peculiar sight, and in her opinion, 5pb. hated it with such a passion; there shouldn't be any form of drug use during her shows, but unfortunately that wasn't her decision. She Stood behind the curtain, listening to the announcer give his rather annoying speech.

"It is now the moment you have all been waiting for…"

She stood there, alone in the spotlight, her backing band standing just a few feet away from her, adjusting their instruments as needed. Unlike everyone else, who played at a minimum 2 songs, Royale-5 was going to play roughly 5 songs (coincidence? I think not), being the main event and all. The tension was heavy, though the members of the band were rather experienced with playing in front of such a star-gazed audience, so the tension was at least toned-down. Spotlights shown down upon the stage, fully gazing on 5pb., who had to squint her eyes in order to even see the curtains. Each bulb was colored different, giving such a trippy sensation when they officially went on. She enjoyed the colors; she practically patented the idea.

"Yo, Fivey, how ya doin', little lady?" A voice sounded off behind the idol. Our favorite star turned around, and faced her very manager, that of the childish Epica. This narrator doesn't want to fully describe her, for it is actually easy to picture her; she is essentially a blonde Neptune with orange eyes, and I guess slightly smaller. Oddly enough, with a kiddy-complexion like hers, she's actually 32, an expert in the field of music management, managing various stars throughout her lengthy career, including 5pb. during 5's early years. She might seem incompetent during leisure time, but during her job she changed her personality rather hastily, looking like an experienced veteran like no other. Now, though, she looked so carefree, standing on the stage that was inhabited already by hundreds of sweaty professionals (make of that what you will), not even the least bit worried, given that 6 bands tonight were under the management of her. She smiled with a childish glee, and 5pb. sighed.

"I'm fine, Epica, just…I don't know," she said, rolling over her words, as though her mind focused on something else. "I-I'm fine for the night; probably just tired."

Epica pouted and placed her hands on her hips, showing off her childish appeal. "Now, Fivey, ya know I know when things aren't well, and honestly, babe, you aren't giving off tha' best aurora," she said, her cheek hilariously puffed out. 5pb. moved her mouth about, wincing as words tried to escape the chamber.

"Really, I think I'm just tired, is all. It's been a hectic night, hasn't it?" 5pb. said, obviously lying, as evident from her troubled eyes. Epica wasn't buying any of it; she may look like a kid, but she had the intellect of an adult.

"Fivey, how long have I known you now, what, three years? I think I know when ya lying. Tell me, darling, what is the matter. Too many lights? Scratch on ya guitar?" she asked, still pouting, though her eyes painted a more sympathetic attitude. 5pb. looked at her backing Royale-4, seeing them all prepared, lively and proud to perform in such a venue. She wished she could be in that attitude, but unfortunately fate is abnormally cruel.

"Well…" 5pb. began, "it's just that…I think I'm getting sick from the fumes. Gosh, what are they…you know, smoking out there?" she said, suddenly feeling rather angry at the world. Epica knew of 5pb.'s hatred of the drugs, but she was one of the people who said it was just a fad. Anyways:

"Oh, Fivey, relax about that! It's just a fad. Listen, if it really bothers ya, then I can cancel your gig here, tonight. No hard feelings or anythin'," Epica stated, winking at her favorite idol. 5pb. moaned in disagreement, developing a headache in the process. The lights were indeed a problem after all.

"Epica, I caused this. No one ever really took drugs before I released that damn album. I just can't believe that such a thing could even happen. It-it hurts me," 5pb. said, looking rather sullen in the process, her eyes growing ever heavy. She really couldn't see how her music inspired an entire generation of Leanbox civilians (and the other landmasses as well, though 5pb. was unaware of their situation as of late) to suddenly pick up the drugs and get a cheap thrill out of them. Did she really cause such a movement, to the point that people barely even hear her music for the worth that it really was, only through the clouded judgment of haze? She loved music, and she adored her fans, but when she sees them all acting disturbed because of the influence of those pesky buggars, she couldn't stand them. She wanted to be a leader in the musical movements, but unfortunately she became one for something so stupid. She loves the techniques she developed, but not the social outcome. It all made her sick.

Epica patted her idol on the shoulder. "Hey, hon, don't let it get to ya! People are juss stupid these days. If they want to rob thar minds, then let them. Sing ya heart out, babe! : )" Epica said, trying to be reassuring. 5pb. made a deeper sigh, hoping that the drugs aren't mixing in with the air around her. Epica made a nice smile, gave a thumbs-up, and left the stage. The rest of her band was ready, and she was not. Would she really just stand tall on this stage and look at an audience who probably view her as a drug lord? She had to play, simply for Lastation, but was it worth it to see the glazed eyes of spectators who aren't aware of the air around them?

"…a major achievement on her part, as well as the band themselves…"

In just a minute, she would have to perform, her unique guitar place lovely in her hands, ready to be picked and strummed. She checked around, making sure the amp was on and functioning, and her strings were properly adjusted for the destruction coming up. Soon, another figure walked up to the unsuspecting 5.

She was slightly older than the idol, and though she was smaller, she was indeed wise for her age, as well as mobile-savvy. She had her auburn hair reaching half-way down her back (her hair was almost like 5pb.'s blue-style, though her bangs went down more), with her bangs slightly brushed to the sides. Her green eyes were rather piercing, sticking out compared to her tan skin. She wore a black-beret on the top of her head (on a slight angle), which matched her black blouse and shorts, contradicting the coloring of her boots, which were mostly blue-and-white. Usually she wore a rather big overcoat with rather gigantic sleeves for her puny (but muscular) arms, but because the weather was way too warm, she left that coat back home. To many she would look like two things: a girl going through puberty, or a rather scary, little girl. In reality, or at least right now, she was a pretty kind, humble soul, who just wanted to make sure her writing partner was A-okay to perform through the night. 5pb. noticed her, and unlike her interaction with Epica, she felt rather relieved and almost happy to see the girl; her partner, known only as IF.

"Hey, Iffy. Isn't the show beginning in less than a minute?" 5pb. asked. She didn't want to come out rude with that line, but she heard the announcer begin to wrap-up his hammy speech, so IF should be on the sidelines by now.

IF smiled. "I know, Lyree, just making sure you're good, is all. Remember all the chords and lyrics?" she asked. IF had the privilege to call 5pb. Lyree, due to the intimate nature of their partnership (and not that form of intimacy, my friends. Oh, if only…maybe...); Not even Epica or the other members of the band could refer her as this, which I believe is a cute way of saying her real name, which I think is Lyrica. 5pb. let out a rather genuine chuckle, almost bursting into a full-fledge laugh. Seeing as how her band looked at her weird, she stifled herself.

"I'm fine, Iffy. I got everything memorized. I just hope I don't mess up; been a while since I played live," 5pb. (or Lyrica) said to her partner, who nodded in confirmation. They knew each other since the travels to defeat ASIC, but from how they sounded talking to one another, you could assume they've been the best of friends since their youth, though they only really been hanging out since they began recording together. It was strange, but that's what you should expect from a good writing team such as theirs.

"Just making sure, and you won't mess up! You'll rock them out, Lyree, I know it!" IF stated. A manager ran up to the stage and quickly gestured to get IF off the stage. Seeing this, IF waved good-bye to her friend and disembarked to the sidelines, standing along with Epica, who cheered rather loudly. 5pb. looked back at her band, who all gave the circle of confirmation with their fingers. 5pb. nodded, and once more turned to face the curtains. She will rock out the night, and play everything she got.

For Lastation; not for the crowd.

* * *

"Royale-5!"

The curtains drew up, the smoke machines bellowed out their vapor, and the lights suddenly began to move. The crowd went ecstatic, as suddenly the entire area grew extremely colorful with the feel of psychedelic soul. Inside the fog stood the band themselves, who suddenly played without warning. It was a brand new composition for the night, never before released to the public, written mostly by IF this time. It began with a piano solo, then the drums, then the guitar and bass joined in, and soon, the crowd went wild as "Won't Get Duped Again" sounded through the night. Compared to other songs in both of theirs and others set-lists, this was the most rock-oriented song there. Even though she had mixed feelings for the crowd tonight, she still sang the semi-rebellious song with all her might, hitting the power chords like no tomorrow. It was eight minutes, but no one seemed to care.

Soon, they turned the tables and began to play "House of the Rising Landmass," entering the land of psychedelia, the colors flashing rapidly. 5pb.'s voice always sounded so emotional, and the crowd loved it. Long ago, she was just a kid that was very, very, _very _good at guitar; now she was a sophisticated adult, experience in battle and previous venue's allowing her to write and perform songs that truly delve into symbolism. It was especially evident in her next song, where she switched her standard electric instrument and swapped it with a sitar, much to the confusion of the crowd (they never really saw the instrument in Leanbox), though they still cheered as she and the band played "Within Me, Without You" in a slightly arranged form. Everything was going smoothly. 5pb. was correct in her assumptions with the crowd; she saw people constantly smoking and…well, "huffing," barely even cheering for her but for themselves; she forgot all about them, continuing to play her exotic instrument like a pro. It was all grand, really.

And then, she saw the mysterious being.

It was during the miniature sitar solo when she saw him, or "it," standing in the middle of the crowd, completely sticking out from everyone else, as though someone took a picture of the scene and added him later on. 5pb. didn't even exactly acknowledge its presence at first, but when she did, her heart suddenly stopped. Sure she continued to sing and play like a pro, but her gaze was lost on this…thing. It was the exact same being Nisa stumbled upon back in Lastation, though unlike that time the being stayed, instead of vanishing after a second. Her eyes opened wide, and she felt her whole body grow numb in fear, though that didn't hinder her memory of the lyrics or the chords.

_He doesn't look real. Why am I so afraid all of a sudden? _5pb. asked herself as the song began to wrap up. The figure just looked at her, never blinking nor moving a single muscle on its face; only the arms seemed to have life, as they commonly tilted about, though that could just be the wind. From its position, people should have noted its unique appearance: that of pure black cape (though to her it looked more like a blanket) wrapped around its metallic-yet-fragile shoulders; a Panama hat clearly showing signs of decay (dark brown, apparently rotting away); a flannel shirt dyed a deep brown/purple, which was rather thin, showing off what appeared to be artificial abs on the chest; pants that were once khaki's, but decay and neglect forced them to look quite distinct; she couldn't accurately see the shoes, though they looked like wingtip shoes from way back in the day. Oddly, however, no one saw it, or seemed to care, though from where she was it looked quite inconspicuous.

But what got her the most was its face, decked out in such a strange manner that she couldn't tell if it was a mask or not. Like she saw before, no muscle moved or twitched, but the reason why that could be is that the being had no muscle in its face to begin with. It was far off from where she stood, but the face was brightly lit for whatever reason, and she saw a fake-painted-on mouth (with fake-painted teeth inside), eyes that were more like a fly's, and skin that was more metal than flesh. What was this thing, and was it even alive? Besides the random arm movements, there was no sign that the thing with an eternal grin was even a natural being. _Did someone put him there? _5pb. wondered.

Indeed, no one saw him, and that was final. It really was as though the being was added to the scene at the last minute. 5pb. shook her head. _Maybe it's the air making me delusional. I smell so many of these damn drugs; I'm bound to get "high" eventually. Is this…thing a hallucination? _5pb. pondered, still keeping an eye on the disturbing apparition of nature. Her thoughts were so focused on the being that she didn't even realize that the whole crowd grew silent, with some questioning over what was going on. Her mind was lost on a trip down muddle lane, so far beyond the brink of reality that she forgot that the previous song ended about two minutes ago.

"5? You okay there, buddy?" her bassist asked as she pat the idol on the shoulder. 5pb. reacting as anyone would when alarmed; jumping pretty far off of where she stood (well, really she was sitting down. Hard to play the sitar when standing, my friends), barely keeping her mind encased in that frail body of hers.

"Wah-wha?" she said, stumbling about like a buffoon of hilarity. The entire crowd stared at her, most buzzed out of their minds, looking like incompetent shrews of dire nonsensical-ness. She looked back at her band, which waited for her signal to enter the next song; her pianist held 5's guitar in her hand, ready to pass it. One of the stage managers gave her the stink eye, and pointed at the invisible watch on his wrist in acrimony; Epica and IF stood on the sidelines, throwing her faces of woe. 5pb. looked like a pixelvader in the spotlights.

She stepped up to the finely-placed mic at the edge of the stage. "Um…sorry about that, everyone. Kind of got lost in my mind, is all," she said, giggling like a soul holding back a dark secret. Everyone still remained silent, until they finally broke out in applause. She drew a heavy sigh, glad that the whole drama was over-

The figure was still there, this time tilting its head, as though it wanted to ask a question. Sweat began to form on her features. _Ignore it, girl, you got a show to perform! _She shouted in her head. Once more, absolutely no one saw this strange specter of the night. She shook it away from her mind. _Don't get distracted again, you hear? Your conscience is delightfully angry at you!_

_Sorry, conscience._

She chose to look as far away from it as possible, and the exchange of guitars occurred, bringing back her classic electric. She cradled it like her own child, and told the audience that the show will go on all the way to the satisfying end. It most certainly will.

Out next came an underdog from her hit single (the B-side), the song that truly made many wonder what reality was. She performed "While This Guitar Continues Crying," to the rapid delight of the crowd. She continued to ignore the thing standing in the middle of the arena, though she would often pass a glance to the area, and most of the time she saw the thing just standing, though one time she saw it clapping, strangely to the sound of the beat, which was rather melancholic to be so happy about. Still, she never faltered in her playing, and continued on like the talented musician she was. The song went on smoothly.

But then the atmosphere apparently changed, and 5pb. picked up on it around the time she announced the last song in the gig, though she ignored it at first. "Alright, people of Leanbox! Time for the grand finale for our friends to the east!" she yelled, as the entire crowd appeared to leap from their seats/positions. She gave the thumbs-up to her faithful band, who gave her the lovable a-okay sign. IF and Epica cheered from the sidelines (well, IF stood there acting all cool, but in her mind played a hologram of herself dancing widely to the beat. Hey, she co-wrote most of those songs!), and the stage conductors began to fire up the numerous machines for this wondrous finale. Fireworks began to blaze through the darkened sky, illuminating Leanbox with the trippy dye of orange, red, yellow, yellow-green, and purple. The Summer of Love began just a week before, but many will deem this night as the official opening of such a peaceful time.

With that, 5pb. engaged in another original work, one that she hoped would bring the roots of rock and the power of psychedelic together in perfect harmony. The song was the hardcore-yet-soft core song "Bluish Haze," featuring some of 5's heaviest chords so far. She wowed the audience as the fireworks continued to burst above, with streamers burning across the stage, and dark-blue water sprouting from various pipes around the stadium, showering the audience with the most twisted performance Leanbox has ever seen. Right from the first chord 5pb. defined history with this song, making the entire world her band, every strum and hammer-on ushering in another unique movement of some inanimate object. It was truly the reign of the psychedelic genre that night, and possible for the rest of history.

But once more, 5pb. caught the sight of the being again, who was simply waving its arms in the air freely, just like the people around it. She still got chills down her spine whenever she saw it, but seeing it imitate what the rest of the people were doing helped her realize that the thing might as well be a bizarre fan, dressed in drag but ultimately like the rest of the normal folk. _That's good, _she thought, _I just wish my fans would wear normal clothing to my concerts!_

And then it began to float.

She continued to play as though her body had a mind of its own, but her eyes and mind followed the bizarre creature, which appeared to laugh through its falsely-drawn mouth. No one took note of the being (either they were too entranced by the firework show, or they felt that it was all part of the display, and didn't think that the floating being was anything special), who appeared to reach out to the heavens above, hugging the lights shining all about in the cosmos. Many of the closer spectators felt it was odd that their favorite idol was looking up in fright as she played a rather awesome solo, though they most likely thought she was scared of the rapid fireworks (which made no sense, since she was the one who chose to have fireworks at all).

The figure looked down at her, and although the heavy explosions behind it obscured the lighting of its face, 5pb. was able to still see the eyes, which appeared to be piercing right through her, stabbing her soul like a knife. Her body continued to play, but worry and terror clouded her mind as she began to stumble during one of the lyrics, though she was able to rebound successfully, as evident with the fact that no one noticed. The figure just floated there high in the sky, seeming to be laughing at her, mocking her in its silence chamber.

_I-I thought he-it was normal! Why is it floating? Why is this creep looking at me? Dammit, can't it just leave me alone? _5pb. thought as the last solo began to take form; her fingers moving at such a rapid pace, looking like a simplistic blur. Then, out of the blue, she once more felt that changed atmosphere, and for some reason her body wouldn't ignore it any longer. Her mind didn't catch on to this atmospheric change, but it was clear that her heart snapped the first thought of it. To many far off, they couldn't see the change, but those closer to her, along with IF and Epica, were able to see the drastic mood shift within her stance, one that showed a vastly different emotion than ambition.

Subconsciously, 5pb. grew angry, her hands moving much more erratically, and her teeth clenched in utter rage. The song ended roughly at the 4:05 mark, but while the rest of the band wrapped up the playing, 5pb. continued on, rapidly strumming her guitar, making such a catastrophe with the guitar, though in reality the sound she made was quite terrific. The rest of her band mates could only stare at her in bewilderment as she committed an entire unplanned solo, sounding like the heaviest thing that the world has ever heard. It was brilliant, but everyone in the crowd was soon able to see that her fingers began to bleed, her eyes barely open to the chaos (no one could hear her, but she was clearly groaning in pain and anguish), and her stance looking as solid as a statue. The being only grinned at her, though she didn't even think of the being as she let out some anger onto her poor guitar.

_What's going on? I can't stop playing; _she began to realize as the skin on her fingers tore away, leaving behind the under skin of red to show, droplets of blood slithering down her fingers as her body refused to stop playing the 6-string. She couldn't open her eyes, but she was able to hold her head up, facing the direction she knew was where the being was. _Did it…did it do something to me? God, I'm so angry right now!_

Even her mind grew pissed at the world, and soon the sound magnified to a shattering level, causing many in the crowd to cover their ears (the front-liners were probably deafened by the sudden onslaught of noise). Her band tried to stop her, but they were knocked back on their feet, each trying to keep their ability to hear alive. Epica was getting a super-headache from all of this, and IF tried to walk towards her friend, though the noise was getting to her as well. The stage conductors managed to turn off the stereo and amps, but for some reason the sound still managed to be loud as bloody hell. The creature in the sky simply looked down at her, seeming to be delightfully chuckling in silence. Even at this point, no one questioned the figure's origin, or even noted its appearance.

"Gaahhhh!" 5pb. began to suddenly shout as she brought her guitar high above her head, still somehow playing it without error in any chord. The sound now came out terribly, but if a music analyst was present, they would say that she was still playing a perfectly-sane beat. Her fingers were completely red now, and her mind was completely covered in rage. In her head was a major crowd of people, all smoking right in front of her. She saw bullies harassing little children, saw the legendary Arfoire pirating almost everything in Gamindustri, and saw a personification of Leanbox stomping on the personification of Lastation; hell, there was a fat guy blocking the way because he was grumpy. She was pissed at all of them, pissed at herself, pissed at the guitar she held, pissed at her band, pissed off at the world that encased her within. If it wasn't for the calm hand of IF on her shoulder, her hands would've probably bled out, becoming stumps in the process.

"Lyree, calm down, the show's over!" IF stated, looking equally pissed with her idol friend, though behind those sharp eyes were the emotions of apprehension and uneasiness. When she spoke, the eyes of 5pb. finally opened, though when she saw them, IF nearly fell to the floor. She was never more scared in her life. Hell, when the front row saw her eyes, they all shrieked in terror. Her eyes of course darted upwards the first chance they were able to, hoping to catch the glimpse of the figure that made her so angry, but all she saw were the fragments of smoldering fireworks. However, at this very fine point she didn't care for the figure anymore; her eyes were now the focal point.

Now, let us go over one thing. A person is often considered to be under control or evil if their irises were red (unless you were a CPU in Goddess form, in which case it was considered normal in certain cases). However, 5pb. had natural red eyes, which created a fine juxtaposition between them and her blue hair. When everyone saw her eyes, though, they noted that they were now the color of the night, the color of a dark shadow that commonly destroys the mind of the travelers who ever traverse through it. People tend to have dark eyes normally, such as brown, and sometimes even black (rare, but it could happen), but for 5pb. this was truly abnormal. It with that in mind, it wasn't even the color that fully scared everyone, but the meaning behind them, which showed flames of death that were ready to break through her frail body.

"5-5? Are your okay?" IF stammered, barely keeping her balance as she stepped away, not understanding the situation at hand. Finally the noise from her hellish playing ended in feedback, but her band was still ineffective, most floundering around on the floor, their ears bleeding out. 5pb. was positively pissed, and if you stood next to her, you could actually feel the anger radiating off of her frame. Epica walked forward as well, acting in her professional style rather than her childish look. She looked at IF, who shrugged unsure. 5pb.'s eyes twitched, and her guitar fell down to her side, slightly breaking the body. All was silent, until 5pb. said:

"It's your entire fault! I hate this fucking for your convenience world! I write songs for you, and what do you do? You just get yourself drugged up and look like idiots! God, I censored hate you, all!"

With that, her eyes reverted back to the reddish hue she commonly held, and she collapsed next to her guitar, completely worn out as the blood on her fingers leaked onto the stage. IF and Epica ran up to her, along with some stage conductors who were still in the middle of holding props. The announcer arrived once more, unsure of what to do. "Just close the show, man!" Epica announced, and the announcer complied. He shouted to the crowd his closing statement, much to the chagrin over the dazed audience. Soon the curtains were drawn again, and the band with their help was left on the stage alone. A couple of other bands came back onstage, trying to help the fallen members.

"What the hell happen to you, Lyree?" IF asked, trying to shaken her back awake. Her fingers were in bad shape, but other than that 5pb. was fine, just unconscious, is all. She called for a medic, trying to clear out the heavily congested stage, though many were still confused over what the hell just happened in order to react. "Damn…" she whispered to herself, unsure of what to do.

Then, out in the crowd, somebody shouted rather loudly. Actually, it was an entire, collective unit.

"Z-Z-Zombies!"

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 20, para 1:_

_"..._And yet there are plenty of theories that tell me that it is possible to revive people, though in the state of a zombie, rather than a true, living organism. It is sickening to think that it is indeed possible, but if it was the only way to bring souls back from the dead, then I truly have a fear of the world around me. No, there must be a way to bring people back fully alive. There must be!..."


	5. PART 1: Nisa Interview and Neptune Joins

Chapter 06: In which we find that the last chapter was poorly written, the fourth wall is non-existent, and the plot actually might finally begin against poor representations of characters from a respecte-

Lastation's Basilicom

10:30 AM

It was a strange scene at the Basilicom after the sighting of 5pb. collapsing on-stage during that perplexing charity show. Every soldier that managed to fit into the room had their jaws right on the tiled floor, their idol falling nearly destroying their minds from the inside-out. Nepgear and Uni looked at each other in shock, while Nisa and Whelps looked like they were about to collapse themselves. Even Kei, who sat mellow in the back of the room, looked up in confusion, actually showing some emotion for once. There was bawling from various guys, and soon the questioning began, giving our tsundere CPU a headache. She looked at all of them and got enraged.

"Alright, shows over. Everyone, back to your stations!" Noire shouted, wiping her hand over forehead, standing now and retreating back to her room. Uni and Nepgear, realizing now that the soldiers were going to stampede about with rage and wonderment over the show they just witnessed, followed suit. Nisa was among the people complaining, but Whelps dragged her out with great resistance.

"Well, that killed about an hour of my time. Gosh, why would Vert even make a stupid concert like that, anyways? No point, no direction, and the music sucked!" Noire shouted again, her loud voice echoing throughout the large halls of the holy building. Uni snickered, alarming Nepgear somewhat. That snicker just seemed so devilish.

"Well, sis, who was the one cheering and acting the most wild?" she said slyly. A rather humongous blush projected itself upon Noire's cheeks, and she soon grew into that tsunderish rage that made her so popular with the rest of the world. It was actually quite hysterical to see such a high-class individual degrade herself into that of a simplistic child.

"T-that was nothing! The soldiers were all acting crazy, so I…um, you know, joined them so I didn't stick out. It wasn't like I liked the concert, or anything. Besides, the whole thing was a stupid insult to our landmass, and Vert will feel sorry when I'm done with this!" Noire said, gritting her teeth, as she stomped back into her room. Uni liked seeing her sister angry over petty things (as long as it didn't involve her, she was cool with it), and she easily getting her money's worth. Noire notice this hysteric-episode, growing even angrier. "Yeah, laugh all you want, missy, you're still in trouble. If Kei, Whelps, and that weird girl following him weren't present just an hour ago, your head would have been on my mantle," Noire said, grinning terrible, thought the blush was still present on her. Uni quickly closed her mouth.

That was when Noire noticed Nepgear standing behind her. "Nepgear, for K. Butler's sake, leave already! I'm trying not to be mean here, but your being disobedient today," Noire said, trying to shout, but restraining herself to the highest degree. Nepgear winced.

"Sorry, Miss Noire, I-I'll be leaving now. I just really wanted to see Royale-5, that's all," the purple-haired girl stated, looking down in fright. Uni looked at her friend in pity and sighed, squeezing her friend's hand, which caused Nepgear to look up again. Noire shook her head, with Kei, Nisa, and Whelps soon appearing in the halls. For some reason, Nisa was positively shaking. Noire saw them, but delightfully ignored them for the moment as she walked back to her room; everyone followed suit, except for the detectives.

"Nis, you okay?" Whelps asked, still desperately trying to dry-out his trusted fedora with the palms of his hands. Nisa continued to shake, her teeth chattering as her body jolted here-and-there. Whelps thought she was freezing (it was abnormally cool in the Basilicom today), and while that was indeed true, there was another reason Nisa was shivering in quite a hammy way. It was a reason that she was afraid to bring up, in fear of being labeled insane and psychotic.

Unlike the crowd at the show, or the soldiers in the room watching with her, Nisa was able to see the specter that 5pb. noticed. Being that she watched through a telescreen, the show mostly focused on Royale-5 playing their jams, but whenever the crowd appeared on the screen, she always saw that being; the very being that pointed to the piece of evidence she needed to arrive here; the being that looked like a mechanical scarecrow, the thing that made her judge whether or not ghosts actually exist on this planetary plane. Nisa was constantly frightened by it whenever it showed itself, feeling complete terror while 5pb. ventured slowly into the sea of insanity. Unlike the others, Nisa was able to see why 5pb. was freaking out onstage, though she couldn't quite comprehend why she was freaking out, and 5pb. was going insane on the guitar. _Perhaps we handle our fright differently. Man, why can't I handle my fright in a heroic manner? , _Nisa thought, even her mind sounding frightened.

But what really scared her about the being was how unrealistic it appeared with the rest of the crowd, looking as though it was added later on rather than it actually being there at the time. Whenever the camera panned-out to the crowd, it appeared above them, barely fitting into the scene as the camera moved. The scariest part, though, was that the figure always looked at her, no matter what, staring with soulless eyes that will surely follow this heroine to her untimely grave. It stood just like a statue, never moving with the crowd or even the wind, incomplete with the reality of Leanbox. Judging by 5pb.'s reaction, she must've seen the being looking at her, but how could that be possible if the thing was always looking at Nisa. God, this perplexed her, causing that hilarious shaking she currently was engaged in.

"Nis?" Whelps asked again, unsure of course. Nisa looked over at him, her eyes bugged out and her countenance ready to fall apart. Whelps saw the distress within her, unsure of what exactly to say to her. Did she really hate the concert that much? Whelps wasn't a major fan of the 5pb., but he felt the show was fine; besides, wasn't Nisa a huge fan for Royale-5? Maybe she was just scared for the idol; that collapse did look bad, and that playing sounded rather painful for her to perform. "Okay there?" was all Whelps asked her, with those eyes shaking at him.

Nisa hugged herself, the internal conflict within her hurting her with every second it took hold of her. She stared at Whelps and said "Joe…did you see it, by any chance?" Her voice fumbled about, with each word coming out of her mouth as though they hit something on the way out (not to mention that many of the words were weirdly-pronounced due to the chattering teeth). Whelps rose one of his eyebrows, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent on the forehead.

"Seen what, Nis? I saw 5pb. collapse in a rather hideous-yet-strangely-satisfying fall, if that's what you mean," Whelps replied, confused as ever, making that strange face once more. Nisa looked at him disgruntled, shaking her head furiously, the last bit of water from the rain flinging about the hall.

"No, not that, you dunce! That…thing on the screen' surely you saw, fellow crime fighter! T-there was a thing in the crowd, a-and it just stared, and…" she couldn't go on, as her jaw began to grow numb, making her unable to even feel her teeth. She covered her eyes with her own hands; dear polygonal gods, how horrific that show was! An apparition of unknown origin staring her down, possibly (somehow) staring down 5pb. on the stage; what was that thing, and why did it appear to her before? Oh, the humanity!

Whelps looked at her funny. "I didn't see anything noticeable in the crowd. What did you see?" Whelps asked. Nisa looked at him, awestruck at his ignorance over her dilemma. He could tell that a yelling was going to be received. _Oh crap, _was all he could think at the moment.

"Damn it, Whelps, you can't really be serious! There was something in the crowd just looking at me. It didn't move at all, and I mean _at all_, and it didn't look like it was even there. Dear god, this heroine was staring back at the face of evil, and absolutely no one was able to sympathize with me! Oh, Whelps, please tell me you're lying! Please tell me you saw this creature, so this heroine could finally be put at an ease!" Nisa proclaimed, placing her hand on her forehead in a dramatic fashion. She tried her best in holding them back, but some tears exposed themselves on her distraught face, and soon she was bawling like a little child. Whelps sighed, knowing that his partner was indeed in a state of distress, though he knew her long enough to know when she was playing drama-queen.

"Come on, Nis. I don't know what you're talking about, but maybe you just imagined the…thing on the screen-"

"No Whelps, I saw that thing there in the concert, and before at the crime scene, pointing at that paper we found! I don't know _what _it is, but I know it's there. Gosh, how can the stalwart hero always see the evil doer, but never the lackey? I hate tropes like that…" Nisa said in-between hiccups, her head pointed down to her dirty shoes. Whelps questioned his role as the "lackey" in this operation, though he still tried to cheer his partner up.

"Nis, not saying you're crazy or anything, but no one else mentioned this thing at all, and if it didn't look like it belonged at the concert, then how could you even say it was actually there?" he began, rubbing his nose as he flipped through his notebook, looking at the paper again (it was hideously smudged, but still somehow legible to a certain degree). "Have you been sleeping well, recently? The case might just be getting to you, and I could sympathize with that. You're not thinking straight-"

Nisa took offense to that. "How dare you, comrade? I _have _been sleeping well, thank you, and this case is child's play on me. It would be impossible for such a heinous case to affect me in any way, and how dare you question my thinking!" she yelled, her voice echoing throughout the halls, scaring a couple of the soldiers. Whelps held his hands up in the air in defense.

"Okay, okay! Just making sure you're alright, that's all. Can't have you get loony on me during this investigation," he said reassuringly. He was possibly twice Nisa's age (whatever age she actually is. Whelps assumed she was 18-or-something like that), and while she always acted like a professional (and when she got down to it, surprisingly worked like a professional), she was still essentially a kid thrown into a case straight from hell. He felt terrible when the watch commander threw her on-board, knowing that the case would possibly scar her for life if they weren't careful. He just wished that the scarring didn't result in seeing people that weren't essentially there.

Nisa saw the expressions move about on his face as he reminisces, and she felt enraged. _How dare he think I'm insane! I know he was there, I just know it!_ Were the thoughts running about through her mind. "He was there, Whelps," she began, "and one day, I will find a way to prove it to you!"

Whelps shrugged, and noticed the Oracle of Lastation staring at them from the other end of the hall, hands on her hips, her gaze looking rather vexing. Nisa soon noticed her, feeling rather estranged, yet somehow delighted, as she ran up to the Oracle with the intent of acting extremely energetic. "Dear Oracle, surely you saw something strange at the concert! You are one of the select few who could see everything in this world. Please, tell me…did you see a thing in the crowd that stuck out like a sore thumb?" Nisa asked, surprisingly looking like she did before the freakout. Her face was filled with suspense, and she looked as though she was ready to pounce on poor Oracle Kei, who looked non-the-amused. Kei looked over at Whelps, who shrugged once more.

"Forgive me, for I do not recollect seeing anything that stuck out from the crowd," she said in a monotone voice.

"Come on! It had an old hat on, its face looked metallic…it looked like a scarecrow, honestly!" Nisa stated again. Kei shook her head.

"The description appears too vague for me to recollect fully, but even if I was able to, I would say that I have not seen a biological being that stuck out from the rest of the show broadcasted from Leanbox. Forgive me, detective," Kei stated, still looking rather bored at the situation. Nisa looked surprised, disappointed, and depressed all at the same time, screaming in agony as both hands were placed over her eyes. Whelps patted her on the shoulder.

"Sorry, Miss Oracle, Nis here just thought she saw something in the crowd that freaked her out. How are the others doing, by the way?" Whelps asked, trying to sooth his distressed partner, who was resisting his hand. Kei looked up at the window high-above on the roof, where the rain fell like bullets from a machine gun, with a flash of lightning accompanying the moment. Kei sighed, feeling a strange omen inside the dark basilicom. "Ma'am?" Whelps asked once more, feeling rather impatient over the situation. Kei looked back down, looking the same as ever, and said:

"Miss Noire and Miss Uni are currently fine. Visitor Nepgear has currently engaged herself in a phone-call with that of her older sister; Uni is still being scorned for her childish behavior, with Noire of course performing said scorning," Kei stated rather bluntly, before her eyebrow rose, a first for anyone to see. "Speaking of them, didn't you mention that you had to question Candidate Uni for her protection?" Whelps looked at her funny, but then the sudden realization kicked in.

"Crap, you're right," he said, quickly shaking Nisa by the shoulder, "Nis, we need to interrogate Miss Uni over the murder case. Quickly, now!" Nisa looked at him in a strange manner, before her face quickly became heroic and rather shiny in this video-game engine. She quickly raised her fist into the air, her fang becoming prominent.

"My, you are right, side-kick! This freak-out of mine caused me to forget my sole duty: protect the next-in-line to die in such a cruel manner! Alright, Whelps, we shall investigate her relation to these cold-blooded crimes~!" she yelled, pushing aside Kei as she ran down the overly-long hallway, not exactly sure as to where she was heading (she made a lucky-shot by entering the first door on the right, of course on the second floor). Kei had fire burning in her eyes, and she was ready to pull-out that concealed weapon from her pocket, before Whelps stopped her (he quickly winced at the sight of her anger).

"Sorry about that. We'll make sure Uni is safe, Oracle. D-do you want to follow us to…wherever Nis ran?" he asked, hoping that the anger welding up within the dangerous Oracle wouldn't be set off on him. Kei looked at him, and he found relief in the fact that her facial complexion reverted back to her bored expression, though he still felt uneasy. She shook her head, and somehow she donated a smile to the scene.

"While it is my job to guarantee the safety of Lastation's rulers, I am currently on an errand, so my presence will surely not occur," she said, before walking up to Whelps threateningly, making him flinch. "Promise me," she began, "that you **will **protect both Noire and Uni with your life. Otherwise, unfortunate consequences will occur upon you." She finished off that line with the scariest death glare Whelps had ever seen (it was actually scarier than Noire's), and with that she was off, leaving Whelps frightened. Nisa soon returned running back down the stairs.

"Whelps, you know no one cares for OC's; hurry up and get on with this scene!" Nisa yelled, motioning her partner to follow. Whelps felt pain at hearing that he was nothing but an OC, but he had to follow no matter what. Kei threatened him over failing his job, and while he could easily report her for threatening a police official, he simply decided against it.

Both Nisa and Whelps acknowledged that they didn't even mention the whole "zombie" incident with any of the others. Whelps was about to at one point, but he didn't know how exactly Noire would react to such a stupid sounding plot inconvenience; Nisa was also going to bring it up, but because it continued to play through her head, her scarred brain refused to allow her to speak up. Both of them hope that the whole "zombie" debacle was just a onetime occurrence, and would hopefully never occur again in the foreseeable future. Perhaps it wasn't a zombie, but a drunk that looked suspiciously like the murdered victim. Yeah, that was it.

_No_, Nisa thought as she ran back up to Uni's room, _it was definitely a zombie. No doubt about it._

* * *

Uni's room

11:00 AM

"Okay, but do I really have to be alone for this? Sounds kind of threatening to me," Uni asked, sitting on her bed, shaking but ultimately calm. Her sister was sitting on a chair eyeing her, trying to persuade Uni to go through the interrogation, which, due to the inclusion of Nisa's energetic persona, caused the candidate to feel rather uneasy about the whole idea. Nepgear was in the room before, but she decided to call her sister (by the request of Noire, so Neptune will at least know where her little sis was; it was totally not an excuse for Noire to talk to the purple CPU, no siree!) and stepped out for a brief moment. Uni heard the door creak open once more, and both Nisa and Whelps walked into the room, Nisa jumping about in her stride, Whelps just following suite.

Noire shook her head at the two detectives. "Just relax Uni. Frankly, I would say it isn't necessary, but seeing as how you snuck out today, I think a suitable punishment for you would be that you are under constant watch, every day, until this blows over. Heh, sorry kiddo," she said, a smirk on her tired face, with a sarcastic tone being uttered for that last part. Uni crossed her arms over her chest, pouting, under-her-breath saying "no fair" while Nisa looked at them awkwardly.

"Geez, you two still bickering about that petty incident?" she gave the thumbs up to Noire, who nodded and stood. "Sorry about that, madam, but you know…LSPD protocol for a perfected interrogation. Uni and I are the only ones allowed for this part!" After she said that, Whelps was taken back.

"Nis, shouldn't I-"

"Relax over there, Whelps. I know Uni a lot better than you, so I could tell every emotion she is experiencing at any given moment! Besides, it's a unique game play feature dedicated to only me!" Nisa proclaimed, looking so happy for subtlety insulting mister Whelps, who sighed under his breath. Noire patted him on the shoulder, telling him that surely Nisa knows Uni.

"Yeah, I know Nisa…" Uni said with great hesitance. _Who was she again? I remember the flat chest, but wasn't that somebody else? Ah, now I confused myself! _Was the phrase being questioned within Uni's just wished Nepgear was here, but only for helping her keep her calmness against Nisa, not for just wanting her there, or anything. Noire nodded her head to her little sis, though she still had a glare on, making Uni wince. Whelps held up his hands.

"Alright Nis, but are sure you don't want back-up for this?" Whelps asked. Nisa shook her head.

"That won't be necessary, comrade. I need you to make sure the others are fine. Hell, interrogate the Goddess herself; she should be included as an info-giving-err-person-thingy," she said, giving a thumbs up to her partner. Whelps made a hand motion around his throat, definitely not approving of the decision at all, though Noire just shrugged. Whelps heard stories of tsundere's back at the station (how aggressive and violent they could easily become), and finding out that the Goddess herself (and her sister, though it appeared to be on a lesser scale) was one of these mythological creatures terrified him to a major extent. He feared being left alone with Miss Noire, hoping to stay with his partner, but when the choices are guaranteed tsundere or possible-tsundere, the pool of decisions is severely limited.

"Alright, good luck," Whelps said, grimacing though Nisa didn't pay any heed to it. It was now just her and the candidate, who still sat on the bed, looking at Nisa as though she was a diseased creature (too mean, but no other comparison worked for this narrator). Nisa pulled out her notebook, flipped through to about 27-pages in (27 was her lucky number, by the way), and took out her special-Prinny-designed pen. Uni rolled her eyes, knowing that this useless interrogation was going to last for an eternity.

Okay, Nisa thought to herself, time to show my worth to LSPD. Detective Nisa mode: engaged!

(Do to the policies set by the LSPD, the conversation will be set to whatever Nisa has written in her trusted notepad, and not reflect on the actual thoughts of the people-in-question. She will describe what the subject is doing, along with the answers given and her thoughts on the question. Everything else is off-limits. This will be written in the style of a script.)

Interogaton(sic): Candidate of Lastaton(sic), Uni

Roughly 11:10 AM

NISA: okay, we are beginning the interrogation at about 11:10 AM. Uni, I will advise you to calm down before we begin. Get everything in ordur(sic) so absolutely no misconceptions could arise.

(Uni nods, though it appears hesitant. She takes a couple of deep breaths, before she says she's good. Still appears frightened, however).

UNI: Ask whatever you need to. I got work to do apparently, and I seriously don't need this right now.

NISA: I understand, fellow candidat(sic), but because there is evidence of someone wanting you dead, we must find some information, in order to bring safty(sic) to both you and to the general community.

UNI: _sighs. _Fine, whatever.

(before this interrogation, I thought ahead and wrote down some questions I will ask her, as well as drew her face on the adjacent page, which I admit is pretty darn good. I begin with my first question: "Knowledge of case.")

NISA: Dear Candidate, what is your current knowledge of the demonic case as-of-now?

UNI: (_Looks around the room, eyes rahter(sic) big) _N-nothing! I'll be honest with you; I didn't even know it was going on!

(I get distracted for just a little bit by the sight of three commands appearing in the top-left corner of my vision. One said "Truth," another said "Doubt," and the last one said "Lie." Looking at her, I could tell that she was quite uneasy, her eyes moving about like mad. I had nil proof over her answer, so I decided that doubt looked good. Oh, this sense of being a detective was surprisingly cool!)

NISA: Miss Candidate, trying not to be rude here, but I could easily tell your hiding something behind that tough exterior! Listen, if you want to be safe, we need all the information that we could get. Now, what do you _really_ know about the case?

UNI: _sighs_. All right…I know that they're happening. Kei told me about them. They're happening all over the city; look, that's all I know right now. What's the importance of that?

NISA: Just to see if you were a witness to any murder, in case of motive, you know. All right, moving on.

(I choose(sic) the second question: "Known opposition.")

NISA: Being that the case involves murder, and apparently involves you, do you happen to know any scum who possibly hates you so much that they want you dead?

(Uni looks at me surprised, but she swiftly answers in the end.)

UNI: not really. Besides the whole ASIC thing, I'm rarely social with anyone besides maybe Nepgear and Neptune, but they both like me; at least I think they do. I don't really know anione(sic) else besides the other Goddesses and a couple of mortals, and they all seem to like me…weren't you one of our part members during that time?

NISA: Hah, indeed I was! Now, you're basically saying that you have no enemies in general?

UNI: Hm, pretty much.

(She wasn't hesitant, and she sounded rather calm in her answer. Her face was also pretty normal, so I decided to select that weird, floating "Truth" option.)

NISA: Do you possibly think that one of the people from our very band of badasses want you dead?

UNI: Besides Ram and Blanc from Lowee, no. Those two are just violent, not murderers, so I don't think they would just up-and-kill me like that!

(I nod in confirmation, and choose the third question from the book: "Possible suspects.")

NISA: I know you said that you have no enemies, but we at the LSPD have no leads at all! 10 dead and still no prime suspects; really sad, isn't it? Do you happen to know anybody at all in Lastation that appears to be suspicious of these crimes?

UNI: _scoffs. _Didn't you just hear me? I'm rarely social, and I don't know anybody here in Lastation. Sorry, Miss…Nisa, was it? Anyways, I got nothing for you.

(Once more, she looks plain, fully confident in her answer. Damn, she is giving this Heroine of Justice a run for her money! I could choose nothig(sic) else but the silent killer known as "truth." She has to be holding more back.)

NISA: Seriously? Absolutely no one at all? Sorry for getting angry, but being a candidate for such a well-respected nation should render you as a rather popular figure, right? You cannot tell me that you never at least had a friend or something. Even I had a friend, and Whelps calls me the unsocial type.

UNI: (_messing with her hair, rather bored as of now) _Besides Nepgear, no. I was usually reserved, all right. I never bothered to hang out with anyone, and don't think that living as a major figure is a good thing! Guards were always surrounding me at all times, so everyone was somewhat afraid of me. I wish I knew someone here, but honestly, I don't, so there!

NISA: In other words, you have absolutely no way in giving us a lead?

UNI: Correct, so I can leave now, right?

(Unn(Sic) has proven to be completely unhelpful for the case. Damn, how could she not know anything? What does this killer "kill" for, anyways? There is a mixture between boy victims and girl victims, but they have all been in the lower middle-class, not as high up as Uni is! Are they broadening their horizons? Man, this person doesn't seem to be a serial killer, unless there are plenty of copycats, and the real man only killed some of the victims. Still, why go after Uni after going for lower citizens? Maybe Whelps was right that this piece of paper had nothing to do with this case…

No, that paper was too suspicious. That…thing pointed to it for a reason, so it has to have significance. Besides, every sight had some object that appeared to pertain to the next one in line, and that paper said her name in such an evil manner. I don't know what that thing was, but I'm sure Uni is in danger; I guess she has no idea, huh? Well, I guess I can't fault her. Still, as a LSPD officer, I must continue to question her.)

NISA: Stay there, little lady, just need to tell you what you should expect from now-on, all right?

UNI: (_scoofs(_sic)) okay, just hurry up. Noire looked tired, and she's probably ready to flip out right about now.

NISA: even after yelling at you, you still feel sympathy for her. Wow, I never met a more sympathetic sister in my life!

UNI: I-it is not like that! She's just the leader of a freaking nation, and if she burns out, well, nothing good will happen.

NISA: I see, you little Tsundere (_No, I didn't actually say that!). _Anyways, from now on or at least until we capture this person, you will have strengthened protection. You won't be fully watched 24/7, but every room will have someone watching you-

UNI: even in the bathroom?1111!1111!23(sic)

NISA: Unless there are windows in them, no. If you head out to town, you'll have additional guards with you, but that seems to be a practice already done, so no matter, eh? We'll also have a person check the mail for you, removing any letter that seems horrific or against you.

UNI: that's so unfair! I don't need that many people defending me; hell, I could protect myself if I was…what would you say, permitted? Yeah, that creep wouldn't survive a second with me. Heh, he would be the victim if he wound up with me!

NISA: I understand, but since you are a major figure in Lastation, the LSPD will make sure you are constantly protected every second. Come on, this heroine wants you to be save(sic) at every moment!

UNI: so what you're saying is that I am very important, meaning better protection, while the rest of Lastation's citizens are left to fend for themselves.

NISA: yes, uh…(crap, knew someone was going to bring up that policy! Guys, we really need to revise the rules…)

NISA: We'll handle that as well, but right now we are concerned with your moral safety, as you appear to be the next victim-in-waiting. I will also say that people that you _do_ hang out with will now be forbidden to see you unless they receive special permission. That means that after this, kickass-candidate Nepgear will really have to leave, for as of now she will be considered a suspect!

UNI: wha-why? You really think Ge-Ge… I mean, Nepgear would be the killer? That is **so **stupid to think. I understand my whole isolation-no wait, I don't! Are you really saying that I can't hang out with Nepgear anymore?

NISA: I'm sorry, young candidate, but that is not my decision. You could still hang out with her, but she will need some more permissions than usual, that's all.

(She apparently notices that I'm writing our whole conversation down.)

UNI: look, stop writing for Pete's sake! Seriously!

NISA: Fine, fine. This is Detective Nisa, finishing the interview at around…11:45 AM-ish.

(Interview is terminated)

* * *

Uni shook her head in disgust, relieved that she was finally done but ultimately tired after the whole ordeal. Nisa placed the book back into her chest pocket, angry that not a single lead could be generated from her subject. "Seriously," Uni randomly began, "did you really expect something from me? I know almost nothing about the case, no one knows me enough to even think I exist, and personally, I highly doubt I'm actually next in the first place!" She got off her bed and covered her eyes with her hand, feeling a rather unpleasant migraine creeping upon her. Nisa threw her arms up in the air.

"Look, my fine candidate, it's basic protocol for a detective to ask questions with P.O.I's, just to see if any defense could be built up. I know that some of those questions were rather…pointless, but it had to be done, okay? It seems you had nothing for us, unfortunately, but never fear! This heroine of justice will ensure that your safety is completely protected from the masses of evil~ darkness!" Nisa replied, growing a grin upon her face, though she was ready to cry; she really placed her money on Uni knowing _something _about the case, but alas, her wallet would be empty about now.

"Yeah, I understand that and all, but do you really have to ban Nepgear from meeting me regularly? That sounds pretty stupid," Uni retaliated, rubbing her temples in a vexing manner. Nisa shrugged.

"Again, protocol. Listen, it hopefully won't last long, but until then, all this hero could say is to tolerate it for as long as possible," Nisa retorted, her countenance shifting towards the bedroom door, ready to tell Whelps that the interview was nothing but a bust. Uni groaned and fell back onto her bed, wishing for a drink-I mean, wishing for someone to console her (it was the only solution for her, at least). This day was quickly growing to be one of the worst days she has ever experienced. However, a strange spark ignited within that of the young candidate, one that made her wonder.

"Hey…um, Nisa, I think? Just a quick question for you…"

"Miss Uni, forgive me, but this sentence is the best the LSPD could grant. There isn't any-"

"No, I'm not talking about the case anymore!" Uni interrupted her interrupter. Nisa flinched, but quickly retracted herself, fully intent on hearing whatever question such a high-class citizen could ask her. Uni gulped, and ended up saying: "Didn't you have another partner? Who's this Whelpy guy, anyways?"

Nisa felt weirded out by the strange plot-relevant question that simply popped out of left field. Why would she randomly ask that? Hell, how would she even think that, if she didn't even remember who she was? _Crap, _Nisa thought as her face grew into a terrifying fright; _Nisa, you have to avoid this! Man, how did she realize that?_

"Um," Nisa began, scratching under her nose as a sweat appeared above her brow, "So, how is your sister?" Nisa wasn't sure which subject to really switch to, knowing that Uni will realize her hasty cover-up. Nisa never did tell a single soul what occurred between her and her old partner; that of a little girl named Gust. Gust was one of the many souls who took on the challenge of defeating ASIC, a master of the art of alchemy, wearing her trusted gigantic hat at all times, with her titular alchemist suit always having a pouch for her potions. though she didn't come cheap when it came to specific requests. After the fall of Arfoire, Nisa and Gust became the official peace keepers of Gamindustri (okay, Nisa actually forced Gust to be her partner in crime, but Gust eventually warmed up to it). Everything was going well between them, to the point that they became local legends around Lastation and Lowee (Planeptune was impassive of them, and Leanbox just wanted them both dead, honestly). Sadly, that time when Nisa was charged with causing a nuisance in Lastation, a strange incident occurred shortly after, and Gust left her partnership in disgust, never to be seen by Nisa again. Nisa regrets that day, of course, but she has, as of now, never made the attempt to find her. These days, she wants no one to know about their strenuous partnership.

"Well, she's fine, but that has nothing to do with what I asked…" Uni replied, puffing out a cheek. "Look, it was just a question. Hm, might as well get out of here. I have work to do, if you don't mind?" Uni asked, adjusting one of her arm-gloves, her face showing non-partisanship as she stood next to Nisa, whose hand still rested on the knob. Nisa still had a sweat upon her head, though she nodded.

"Y-yeah, I understand. I got nothing from you, so forgive me for this little interruption. You may continue on, little Candidate," Nisa stated with a sense of shame in her voice. She hoped no one else found about her and Gust, not wanting to create a scene she knew she wouldn't be able to fight out of. Uni nodded to her, and with that, Nisa turned the knob, wondering if Whelps was more successful in his interviews with the actual Goddess of the black land.

Then the shouts began.

"LSPD, put your hands up!"

"Get out of my Basilicom, you freak!"

Uni's eyes grew wide. "That sounded like Noire! What on Gamindustri is going on out there?" she demanded, almost shoving Nisa to the side, who held her back with her arm. Nisa gave the Candidate a look, which made the young girl stop.

_An intruder! Whelps seems to be on the defensive, and the Goddess herself sounded ready to fight. Could this person…be the murderer, trying to finding Uni? No, he wouldn't….,_ but it was too big a risk to just ignore him. It was LSPD's priority to protect the Goddess and the Candidate, and if this person meant business, then Nisa will surely dispose of him in a valiant manner. She looked at the candidate.

"Stay here, Lady Uni; let Nisa protect you. Be quiet, and if I'm not back in 10 minutes, escape. Got it?" She asked. Uni puffed her cheek in rage, knowing that Nisa was passing her off as a weakling compared to her (and Uni was _no _weakling).

"Let me go, too! I can handle this person!"

"No, it might be too dangerous! Relax, for Nisa will investigate this matter! sniff I can smell the evil presence! He must be near!"

With that, before the candidate was allowed to do a single thing, Nisa quickly threw the door open, and escaped out into the hall. Could this intruder really be the killer they were looking for? Oh, imagine the scene where Nisa will finally have the long-soughted betrayer of humanity in her possession, ready to kick his demonic butt back to Skyrim! _Hell yeah! Time to get these stallions out of the stable and become the Heroine of Gamindustri once more!_

However, once she made it down the stairs, she dreadfully wished she could just die right at that second.

* * *

Chapter 07: In Which We meet another major character, appearing for the sake of being the poster-child of the series

**Roughly during the time the interview began in Uni's room.**

"Sis, I know, but you seriously weren't worried at all?"

"Me? Worried about _my_ Nep-Jr.? Ha, you make me laugh sometimes. Unlike other little sisters, I know you never do anything bad. Heck, even if you did, you would still be my little saint!"

For all of those who are uninformed, our fair candidate known as Nepgear was on the phone with her older-yet-mentally-younger sister, CPU Neptune. If you need that description of her so badly, she wears a rather big hoody (not as big as IF's jacket, but still relatively big for her); has shorter purple hair in the style of a shaggy bob-cut; has purple eyes of course; skinny, though out of all the Goddesses she's considered the second fatest (Blanc owns the title, though she's skinnier than everyone else. Really, I have no idea how gravity works in Gamindustri); finally, and most importantly, she is shorter than her sister is, and weirdly does not wear pants, though no one ever complained (not even Histoire!) Honestly, how she managed to keep her own continental landmass afloat over the millennia or so is beyond me.

Anyhow, moving on.

"Still though, absolutely no boyfriend to speak of? No need for me to get those pesky chaos emeralds and go whoop his ass to Green Hill?" Neptune asked through the phone, sounding somewhat hectic as though she was running, and Neptune never got any exercise (besides slaying monsters, of course). Nepgear shook her head even though Neptune would never see.

"No, Neptune! I'm at Lastation's Basilicom with Uni and Noire. I'm actually about to leave in just a moment," the young candidate replied, looking at Noire staring down upon her, her tired eyes piercing right through her skin. Whelps was, at the moment, looking over his notes, just wrapping up whatever he had to ask the CPU (the conversation was more-or-less yelling over how huge a waste of time this was), and Nisa was right around the second question, leaving Nepgear on the phone with her childish sister, who honestly wouldn't stop talking.

"Alright, Ge-Ge! Teehee, such a cute nickname. Anyways, you're just about ready to leave?" Neptune quickly said, her voice moving from audible to dead-quiet as the phone constantly shook in her hand. It made Nepgear really wonder what her sister was doing now; was there water running in the background? As she thought this, another bolt of lightning flashed high above the Basilicom, with the torrent of rain smashing against the walls of the mighty building. After hearing what she perceived as heavy breathing on Neptune's part, her sister continued: "Ah shucks, that's just too bad, then…"

A question mark appeared over Nepgear's head. "Hm? Why's that too bad. Noire kind of wants me to leave right now, so…"

"Yeah, but if you leave, then this surprise wouldn't be as awsomez!"

"What do you mean 'surprise'? Goodness, Noire made a creepy face…"

Noire gave the little candidate a stink-eye, not enjoying the term "surprise" from that twisted Purple-Heart CPU. She mouthed the words "what's going on?" to the Candidate, with Nepgear only shrugging. Coming from her sister, a surprise is never a good thing.

A chuckle is heard from the other line. "Noire's there right now? Gosh, I thought she was in her room. Sweet! This surprise will be even better," were the words spoken by that of Neptune, who began to sound slightly out of breath. Nepgear's eyes turned blank.

"Sis, what are doing right now?" Nepgear asked, voice shaking as a short overlay of blue appeared over her face. Noire began to walk over, her pissed-off gaze growing rather more…pisser? Whelps was still looking over his notes, not even aware of the violence possible ready to break through inside that Basilicom. Another lightning bolt struck, followed of course by rolling thunder. The tall tsundere yanked the cell from the fragile fingers of the terrified candidate. "Noire, wait!"

In Noire's own head, she contemplated various things over what she would do to Neptune if this "surprise" turns out to be…well, bland, but also deadly. It made Noire wonder what on Gamindustri the two were talking about for such a long time before finally reaching the point where Neptune asked Nepgear about her whereabouts (the whole conversation that began in Uni's room was rather hectic, as while Nepgear attempted to tell her sister where she was, Neptune was deep in combat in a rather nifty fighting game on her little handheld-doohicky. She was this strange gigantic person colored red fighting this anthropomorphous blob that shot poisonous spiders or something. It was a hectic match, but eventually Neptune defeated the strange being, "Platinum-ing" the game, which to Nepgear probably meant she beat the game once. After that, _then _the conversation of the young candidate's whereabouts popped up), but that thought was kept tucked away, as she was ready to raise hell on the CPU.

"Neptune, what on Gamindustri are you doing?" she yelled to the other line. She was hoping to hear Neptune cringe, or yelp in panic, or probably drop the phone in shock, but instead she heard a pleased giggle. A pleased giggle from Neptune, dear readers, is never a grand noise for such a Tsundere as Noire to hear, _especially _when the voice is out of breath.

"Noirey, is that you? Ah, yeah~!" Neptune cheered, as she still appeared to be running, huffing now as Noire heard audible splashing, as though her shoes were smashing against puddles. She heard a buzzing sound reminiscent of rain, and the sound of thunder above Noire's head matched perfectly with the one heard through the phone. "How are you doing, ol' lover?"

"Gah! I'm not your lover, and I'll never be your lover, period!" Noire had to blush after saying that, as Nepgear could barely stand, and even Whelps looked up inquiringly. "S-seriously, stop saying things like that, Neptune! You make me look bad."

"Ah, sorry wittle-Noirey, but it isn't my fault for your outbursts!" Noire was ready to explode; just go into Goddess-mode and freaking end the entire Basilicom (my god, that is a power? This Narrator is shaking in his/her boots), but she refrained herself, feeling a tug on her arm courtesy of Nepgear to calm down. Neptune was now breathing heavier, her voice now becoming sporadic inbetween breaths. "Anyways…I'm currently…running to…a really big…building," she said, more splashes being produced from the other line.

"Big building? Since when did you run? Ah, who cares; what did you mean by 'surprise'?" Noire demanded, stomping her foot on the ground, steam rising from her ears. Nepgear tugged at her arm, trying in vain just to calm the soon-to-be rampaging tsundere; Whelps began to back away slowly, slowly creeping up the stairs to check on Nisa's progress.

Once again, a weak-yet-powerful chuckle erupted from the other line. "I can't…just say it….ruin…surprise," Neptune said, hiccuping as her apparent running began to grow even faster. It was then that, If Noire happened to perk her ears up by just a small amount, she could hear faint running just outside the door to the Basilicom, with some soldiers beginning to yell at random. "Besides…you'll find...out shortly, anyways," Neptune continued, her running matching the exact noises Noire heard outside. As the rain torpedoed on the window above, accompanied by a strike of lightning, the steam from Noire's ears grew much more profound; that sudden line of realization was finally crossed, and Noire knew what was occurring outside.

_Oh no, _both Noire and Nepgear thought, both staring at the door as the soldiers began to shout against the rain. Neptune was still on the other line, and Noire heard clearly the soldiers yelling through the phone; it was the worst situation Noire could think of occurring this day, and of course, it had to become reality. With a soft click, the call was terminated, and Noire gently handed back the cell to the young candidate, who looked pleasantly pale. Whelps was still clueless, being the OC that he was, but feeling the sudden change in atmospheric pressure made him grip the gun within its holster. This wasn't going to end well, was it?

The soldiers grew frantic, but they weren't able to stop the onslaught of the woman who broke through the mighty Basilicom doors, smiling but immediately collapsing due to lack of air. A puddle of water surrounded her soaked body, with the rain forming a trail at the door; apparently, the wind picked up outside, the rain falling haphazardly diagonally downwards, blinding the entirety of Lastation in a disastrous fog. The guards and soldiers stared at the purple-haired woman lying face-down on the floor, before finally one appeared to just randomly break.

"My lady, we tried to stop her! She-she just ran toward us unexpectedly through the fog, pushing us all down! She's too strong for her size, a-and she was on the phone at that! Do you know her, miss?"

Noire committed a face-palm. "Guys, she's not a terrorist or anything. This is freaking _Neptune, _Goddess of Planeptune. What she's _doing _here, though, is beyond me," She said rather calmly with the smoke alarms going off down the hall (Nisa thought she smelt steam, but she passed it off). The soldiers looked at her, looked at Neptune, back at Noire, back at Neptune, over at Nepgear, back at Noire, at Whelps for some reason, back at Neptune, at one another, at the bolt of lightning flashing behind them, at the internal conflict raging in the skies, back at Noire, and finally at themselves before they finally scrambled to pick up the fallen Goddess, apologizing profusely as they quickly ran off (whew…).

"Thank you, boys," Neptune cheered, brushing off her hoodie-dress, flicking more rain upon the ground. Nepgear stared at her in horror, knowing that if all goes terribly wrong, this will be the last sighting of Neptune on this world. "How ya doing, Noirey? Sure I'm not some evil terrorist bent on Lastation's demise?" Neptune continued, placing a hand over her lips, her eyes appearing rather mischievous.

Noire quickly grabbed Neptune's collar, lifting her up in air. "Noire, don't!" Nepgear pleaded, once more grabbing Noire's shoulder. Shocked, of course, Neptune struggled within Noire's grasp, though she still smiled and waved at her sister, who proceeded to groan approvingly. Noire looked at Nepgear.

"Relax, Nepgear, I'm not doing anything bad," she said, though her voice still sounded rather pissed. She turned to look back at Neptune, who was smiling so much as if a child would. "As for you, Neptune, what in the Polygonal Gods name are you doing here?" Noire shouted, gritting her teeth, holding back the urge to fully go all-out upon the clumsy girl. Clumsy girl in question smiled cheerfully.

"Oh, you know, just visiting a dear friend that I haven't seen in months. Noirey, when are ever gonna call me? You missed out on that super-awesome cosplay-"

"Shut up!" Noire quickly shouted, trying in vain to block the rest of Neptune's words, not wanting the secret to be emitted upon the entire landmass. Nepgear and Whelps had those trademark question marks appearing above their heads, with Whelps making that disturbing face again.

"A-anyways, did you make an appointment to meet with me? No! You can't just barge into our business like that, Neptune. There's still too much trouble here to begin with," Noire capped off, finally letting free of the Purple-haired teen/700-year-old. Neptune readjusted her collar, snickering to herself.

"What?"

"Noirey, do we need a moral in this fanfiction about how friends should always see one another, and not have to make appointments? Come on; just let me help you with the problems, hm?" Neptune asked so innocently. Nepgear shook her head quickly, knowing Noire would explode at that. It was to no avail.

"Don't break the fourth wall like that! Besides, I'll never let you help me! Never, never, never, _Never!" _Noire berated her little totally-not-a-friend-or-anything…friend, Her face red with really stupid rage. Neptune shrugged, still smiling too cutely for such a dark day as this.

"If you say so, Noirey. Hey, if your landmass does fall, you can always live with me. Oh, we will be bunk-buddies!" Neptune let out a shrill squee from her lips, making Noire blush intensely. Nepgear and Whelps sat in the background, staying as far away as possible from this massacre of a conversation, hoping the chapter will end quickly.

"Hey, my nation will never fall. Once we get everything back into place, we will be the ones dominating, not you!" Noire shouted. Both CPU's stared intensely at one another (though with Neptune, such a heinous word is rather misplaced, dontcha think?), a strange, unexplainable pressure forming between them. Whelps and Nepgear looked at each other, sighing in defeat.

"No way to control your sister there?" Whelps asked, closing his notebook, still hoping Nisa is doing okay. Nepgear shook her head, still hoping Nisa isn't doing anything wrong to Uni.

"Nah, not with Noire. Noire always yells at my sister, but really, they are inseperable friends. This whole share debacle broke them apart, but I know they still like one another," Nepgear explained, sighing once more. A strange scene of Uni played in her head, and for some reason she blushed, though Whelps didn't appear to notice it. Instead, he looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, hopefully this damn case will be resolved shortly. If Uni has anything, we might finally get a lead and close it once and for all," Whelps said, sounding almost as tired as Noire. Nepgear nodded, smiling at the thought of a problem finally being relieved from Noire's shoulders. She wanted to say so much more, mostly about Nisa and Uni, but the only thing she could finish off with was a simplistic, singular word.

"Yeah."

Then the scream occurred, and both the candidate and the detective rose from where they sat, watching as Noire backed away quickly from Neptune. Neptune looked confused, leading Noire to point behind the other CPU. Neptune turned, and quickly screamed as well, noticing the apparation that appeared at the Basilicom doors. Nepgear and Whelps soon noticed, and both backed up, Whelps drawing out his trusted pistol.

The figure appeared limp, its face peering down at the wet floor, its gait loose and its appearance reminicent of a scarecrow. It just stood there, not even beginning to move a single bit of muscle. Both Noire and Whelps began to threaten the creature.

"LSPD! Put your hands up!" Whelps shouted, pointing the gun at the figure. The figure did raise its head, showing off the face that looked so closely to that of an insect, but it still refused to move. "You're trespassing on private property! Put your goddamn hands up!"

"Get out of my Basilicom, you freak!" Noire shouted, just on the verge of transformation. The two purple-haired women looked at one another, before moving up to the frontline, ready to take action if it was completely neccesssary. The figure didn't twitch a facial feature, but it appeared to laugh quietly, its arms moving just like a robotic man, flailing about with no emotion, just cordinates. Even with Whelps aiming it down, and a Tsundere ready to get her hands dirty, the figure didn't show fright or distraught; just an eternal smile.

When Nisa made it down the stairs, she wished she could just die right at that second

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 20, para 3:_

_"..._And it is quite perplexing that help is never expected from the forces of Celestia. They are the rulers of the land above, the one that governs our own world, and yet when tragedy strikes as a common interest, they merely bat an eyelash towards us, as though our world is merely a pawn in some sort of scheme. I do not possess the knowledge of who these people that rule us are, but from what I can recall, there were Gods and Goddesses of days long past, as well as strange beings that most likely appeared from a different dimension. One specific soul was a strange girl with red hair and a dragon floating around. She was so calm, yet energetic, and it was clear that she wasn't supposed to be there. I wonder who she was, and what universe she came from..."


	6. PART 1: 5pb and Friends Fall In

Chapter 08: In which our favorite Idol awakens to an impetus nightmare-ish thingamabob of a tale

**Roughly during the events of the previous chapter, happening in Leanbox…**

* * *

"Seriously, Compa, how long is she going to be out?"

"Patience, dear Iffy. 5pb. needs her rest. She will be A-okay when she wakes up, so there's no point in worrying."

"If you say so; seems weird that she just collapsed like that."

Those were the three quotes 5pb. first heard when she finally return to consciousness. She wanted to open her eyes, but a massive headache persevered within her temples, forcing them ever-presently shut. She couldn't feel most of her body (she grew alarmed at first, fearing paralysis, but in reality it was just a regional anesthesia placed upon her limbs, meant to be there in case of the unneeded surgery), and while she heard voices outside her inner realm of being, she couldn't exactly understand their logic or who was talking at what time. It was truly bizarre, and at first, she thought it was just a passing dream. I'm hearing things, 5pb. thought, but what am I hearing?

"Hey, her eyes are twitching! Do you think she's waking up?"

"Iffy, don't poke her chest! If she is waking up, you might spook her, and then what are we going to do?"

_I-Iffy, is that you?_ 5pb. thought within her head. Her eyes still hurt, but she desperately wanted to open them, seeing the light that could possibly dispel her thoughts over if this is the real life or if it is just fantasy. Where was she, anyways? Her limbs were useless to her, but she still had feeling in her back, and the fabric she laid upon felt similar to a bed. _Why am I in bed? Wait…What is Iffy doing in my bedroom?_

Eventually, there were more voices, all sounding either frightened or hectic, as though a major crisis just occurred. They mostly sounded masculine, with some feminine voices ringing throughout the room. She heard cries for help, heard strange machines making even stranger noises, and heard a strange pandemonium emitting from the hallway just outside her supposed bedroom. It was all disturbing, to say the least, but 5pb. soon recognized the pleasant, soothing voice of a medic she knew from her travels, one that helped her during those dark days when she caught a rather heinous flu-bug. She was a pretty girl; a tad bit clumsy around the edges, but otherwise the most trustworthy person someone could ever know.

If you noticed that credit caption appearing under her listing her voice actor and such, then you will see that Compa is the next character in this disastrous tale. Just as 5pb. remembered her, Compa was generally one of the more trustworthy people in her group of misfits back in the ASIC days, always acting like the surrogate mother to the group. She was an up-and-coming nurse in Gamidustri, always carrying a rather hefty syringe on her person at all times, which can be used to both cure and disturbingly slaughter any monster that happens to cause trouble to the ones she cares about. She rose in prominence after being discovered to be the only human doctor that could cure a Goddess, after Purple Heart caught a rare form of flu that was swiftly cured by Compa's strange liquid medicine. About half-a-year after the fall of Arfoire, Compa finally managed to secure her full license as not just a nurse, but a full-fledged doctor, becoming one of the very best in Gamindustri (though Lowee rarely acknowledges her, for some reason). She was visiting Leanbox for a small vacation when she received the news about 5pb.'s condition, leading us to this very scene.

"Uh…," our friend Lyrica moaned, finally moving her numbed hand over her closed eyes, the sounds of the world skyrocketing throughout her brain. Luckily, she was not in any sort of dream, but at the same time, she wished the headache present within her skull would vanish along with that belief. Can't really win them all, I presume.

"5? Can you hear me?" Compa asked delicately, rubbing the idol's shoulder slowly and cautiously, not wanting to alert her patient into frenzy. Her arm was still numb, but Lyrica was able to feel the presence of the medic hovering over her, the salmon (whatever salmon is)-colored hair of Compa brushing on 5pb.'s cheek, finally bringing the red irises of the idol to life once more. Her vision was severely blurred at first, but eventually the faces of Compa, IF, and a few doctors running in the background came into full swing, along with those horrific machines Lyrica heard during her first-awakening.

"C-Compa? Is that you?" 5pb. asked, massaging her left eye, not seeing the strangeness that will soon be a freakout for her. Compa looked down at her and gave that pleasant smile that Pirachu always loved (really loved, as a matter of fact).

"Hello, Miss 5pb., enjoy your nap? You gave us quite a scare," she said, sounding way too much like a mother at her young age (maybe that is why her gran-pappy loved her so). 5pb. stared at her lazily, looking over at the corner of the bed, where IF simply nodded at her, the beret on her head falling slightly over her eyes. Out in the hallway, doctors were screaming as something was being strolled along on a stretcher, a lump that was shaking erratically. It was all happening too quickly for 5pb. to process, and the headache of course didn't really help out matters. Where was she, anyways?

"H-Hi, Compa. Where am I?" 5pb. asked, still sounding drowsy, as she felt ready to fall back into that peaceful slumber of hers. IF walked up to her friend, placing her hand on 5pb.'s head, glad to feel that heat was coming back to her (she was cold as ice when she collapsed, and not that catchy song-style ice, either). 5pb. sighed, not enjoying the coolness of IF's palm, but at least she was able to feel whatever was on her face, besides the headache.

"You're in a Gargan City Hospital, silly! You collapsed on stage during one of your concerts, so we managed to bring you to the closest hospital around," Compa answered, shooing off a doctor that appeared to be a huge fan of Royale-5, just begging to get the famed guitarist's autograph on his specified suit.

"I…collapsed?"

"Yeah, it wasn't pretty. You freaked out on the stage, yelled at the crowd, and fell to the ground. Heh, I thought you were dead; you were barely breathing!" IF answered the baffled idol, patting her head now. 5pb.'s eyes grew in shock. Did She really collapsed, violently at that? It was hard to recall what had occurred just a couple of hours ago, with the only thing that she could accurately remember was the various song performances before the sighting of…that thing that she was lucky enough not to remember. She yelled at the crowd as well…wow that was something she did not think would ever be used to describe her style on the stage.

But she was lucky enough not to remember the being that caused the freakout, so everything was good, until a specific scene occurred that forced her to remember the horrific being that played with her mind.

"Whew, that's scary," 5pb. said nonchalantly, looking over at the bed next to her, where a man appeared to be undergoing some form of operation, the doctors desperately trying to keep their attention on him rather than the idol they oh, so love lying nearby. A TV was on, displaying some stupid news story about how a robber tried to rob the freaking Basilicom, and the results were what anyone would simply suspect. "Where's Epica and the band?" 5pb. questioned her song-writing partner.

"Epica was in here before, but apparently she was too much to handle, so she probably got kicked out. The band's in the lobby, if you want me to get them. They're probably still in hysterics after all this," IF replied, flicking off some dust off her blouse. As that particle of dust drifted to the clean floor below, loud bangs sounded out from the hallways, with various voices shouting "stop!" in unison.

"Out of ma' way! I need to see ma' darlin' 5!" the all-too-familiar voice of Epica shouted throughout the hall. Another stretcher rode on down, the doctors running as fast as humanly possible as 5pb.'s childish manager stampeded through, taking out anyone in her way. "Move, damn ya! I need to see ha'!"

"Uh-oh, we can't have her in this room again, Iffy. She's too frantic for 5pb. in this state," Compa said alarmed, looking over at 5pb., who had absolutely no idea what the trouble was. IF nodded quickly, getting a worried look on her facial complexion.

"Yeah, don't need her jumping all over her when she's recovering! Okay, I'll try stopping them, just…make sure she's alright; okay, Compa?" IF asked, which was answered by a humble nod from the Moe-doctor. IF quickly stammered out the door, looking rather confident, but still overally feeling scared over the outcome of her blocking-attempt. 5pb. sighed, still not in the loop.

"I guess that's Epica for you," Lyrica moaned, still wishing for feeling in her limbs. "By the way, Compa," she began, "Why are my limbs…numb? Did I have surgery or something?" Compa shook her head, smiling that kind-hearted smile of hers.

"We were worried that some operation was going to be done. You fell hard onto the ground, and your hands were bleeding! We numbed you just in case, but luckily, you are very healthy. The numbing effect should wear off in under an hour," Compa explained, softly patting 5pb.'s shoulder. As a doctor, she knew that touching a recovering victim is against regulations, but sometimes Compa just had to pat her patients when they appeared to be down. Like her grandpa always said: "Every women in pain needs a good pat to bring up both their day and yours."

"I guess that makes sense-wait, my hands were bleeding?" 5pb. suddenly asked, shocked and frightened at the sudden realization. Compa saw the sudden change in her emotions and flinched back, only nodding in response. The shocked, almost pure-white eyes of 5pb. slowly gazed down upon her hands. She already placed them over her eyes before, and she did wave slightly at IF when she first noticed her; apparently she didn't ever look at her hands thoroughly, or maybe she already knew their condition, but it didn't completely register within her mind. When she saw the white bandages covering the entirety of the hand, from palm-to-pinky, She yelped in terror, noticing thin lines of smeared red around the fingers.

"Oh polygonal gods, what happened to me?" 5pb. quickly stammered, looking at her hands as though she just committed a wrong-doing (takes the "blood on the hands" metaphor to a whole, new perspective). She knew that no pain could be felt in her limbs, but her mind still processed a phantom sting, making her grimace as the whole concert played in her mind, reassuring her that it truly occurred. She remembered her set-list, the absurdity of the length of the show, the crowd that took drugs to enhance her sound, and…and…

That thing.

It all played again like a broken record. She remembered playing her tune while seeing the thing fly up above the rest of the people, who simply refused to acknowledge such a sight; she remembered its cold stare, almost as if it was looking right through her, past her rocking soul; she remembered how she was locked away behind her mind, with all the anger she felt over the countless druggies in the audience bursting forward into the physical realm; she remembered her rant she gave, before finally passing out (it was a miracle that she could remember all of that) and tumbling about on the stage. Oh, the horror she felt remembering that creature.

"5pb.? Please stop shaking like that! You should just calm down and lie on your pillow. You won't be making any sort of recovery if you continue to move!" Compa reassured her, pushing 5pb. down softly back to her bed, resting that blue hair of hers on the cool pillow. It was actually surprising to see 5pb. calm down in the state that she was in, though she held up her hands in the air, still staring at them intently. A doctor ran up to them, but Compa said that everything was A-okay.

Another stretcher rolled on down the hall, and 5pb. laid upon that bed, petrified as the memories flooded back into her. Did IF or Epica notice that being in the crowd? She knew that Compa wouldn't know (she wasn't present at the concert, and so far Lyrica presumed that she wasn't watching a broadcast of it, either) anything about this, and as of now, no one in the hospital was talking about something in-ordinary at the charity show (apart from 5pb. collapsing live on-stage, of course). She looked up at the TV, hoping somehow to catch a newsreel covering some mysterious being at the show (now that she thought about it, how long was she out? Eh, mystery for another day), but while the news was still on, the only thing on the screen was a marquee displaying "Missing Queen: Red, small, apparently interested in women…" along with a small girl that 5pb. didn't recognize. All-in-all, 5pb. was left with the heinous thought that she simply imagined everything.

_T-that's impossible! I could never tell a lie. I know what I saw, and what I saw was possibly the most revolting thing imaginable!_ She looked over at Compa, who was saying something to her, but Lyrica turned her ears off long ago as she escaped into her realm of conscious thought. _Compa would trust me, right? She could possibly figure out that I wasn't kidding or anything. But…What if she doesn't believe that I saw some horrid monster? What if she thinks I'm insane?No, oh no, I don't want to be thought of like that!_ 5pb. was going through some internal conflict, and though Compa spoke words that would have surely helped the idol to calm down and rest for a while, Lyrica was entering into another spasm of hysterics. She thought she got over doing that back during the ASIC days, but sadly, she was wrong.

"Miss 5, please stop shaking!" Compa shouted, now firmly holding both 5's shoulders, shaking herself as she tried to maintain balance and composure. Sadly, no matter how much she said, or how much another doctor tried to do, or how hard 5pb. tried to shake off that painful memory, 5 just wouldn't stop. It got to the point that her breathing became erratic.

Right at the nick of time, both IF and Epica ran in, Instinctively running to 5, knowing she was in trouble (no one bothered to ask what occurred out in the hall, seeing as how Epica was clearly much more calm than previously. Compa didn't mind, obviously). IF was going to take over holding 5 down first, but Epica was way too much like Neptune, and thus much more quick despite so many characteristics that prove otherwise.

"Fivey, Fivey, stop shakin' hon!" Epica shouted, staring intently at 5pb., who appeared to be entering into a seizure. Compa almost broke into a fit.

"Oh no, this is not looking good. P-Please, I need some help. I think she's having convulsions!" Compa yelled, signalling the other doctor to bring in his nurse. 5pb. appeared to be choking, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, her mouth open in shock. No foam, though, that's good.

Convulsions? IF thought, looking at Compa intently before focusing again on her songwriting-partner. Oh no, not this again. Come on, Lyree, I thought we got over this!

Yes, indeed it was true that 5pb. had strange…episodes that resulted in her freaking out like this. IF, Epica, and the others of Royale-5 (who were strangely absent from this scene) knew all-to-well of why she did this; apparently she convulsed whenever she grew excessively stressed over a situation. However, only IF could fully pinpoint this reason, knowing that she got it from the ASIC days. Back then, if she was off the stage, she was a panicky girl, and would shy away from the rest of the group, though she got over it later on. Nowadays, especially in the recording studio, if certain news comes up that requires much more strain upon the idol, she will begin to grow frighten, then slowly enter into a state of convulsing, something that freaks the shit (pardon my language) out of everyone near. So far, the only one that could calm her down is IF, and that is from a well-intentioned hug, and that is what IF did at that scene.

"Move, Epica, you're making it worse. Jeez," IF hissed, almost throwing the manager away to the floor. IF quickly hugged her friend, who was still spazing out, appearing to still be choking, though she was still the same skin color, indicating no loss of oxygen. IF quickly massaged the bluenette's back, calmly and gently whispering into her friend's ear; "Calm down, Lyree," she began, "Calm down. There's nothing to be stressed about." IF had plenty of practice on this, so she knew exactly what to say and how she should massage Lyrica's back; Just don't go around telling people about this, because she will smack you. Hard.

Two doctors ran in with a nurse, all looking frantic, knowing that today was already bad (for all those informed, by the way, we are in the middle of the night. Thought I should share that. Cheers!), and working with such a popular person could prove disastrous to their career, like that unfortunate fellow who operated and killed the man who made moon-walking popular. Compa sighed in relief at the change of pace going on, and looked back at IF. "Iffy, stop it! We need to help 5pb., and right now doing that will not help her in the slightest!"

However, Epica patted the young doctor on the shoulder, silently whispering "watch" to her, making Compa and the other doctors stop doing…eh, standing alert? Whatever, they did what they were told and watched as Lyrica surprisingly calmed down, her shaking dropping all the way down to null. The doctors were completely stunned as IF allowed 5pb. to lay down again, who regained the ability to breathe again, her heart rate clearly around average.

"H-How did…?" Compa and the other doctors/nurse asked, eyes bugged as Epica smiled, motioning her hand in the air as to indicate that IF took the center stage. IF petted 5pb.'s head as the idol fell asleep, exhausted once more from the sudden onslaught of terror that simply partaken her on a trip that spanned a page-and-a-half.

"Stress Convulsions," IF suddenly blurted out, "Sorry for not mentioning that earlier, Compa, but our douche-bag of a writer forgot to mention that whole character trait before the chapter began! Just be glad I know how to deal with them," she finished off, as Xnobody13 ran behind a table, afraid of death by the hands of I("My sleeve's are too long")F. Compa stared at her, blinking rapidly, before shaking her head quickly.

"Well, okay, I'll accept that excuse for not mentioning this earlier, but I still will require some observation on her, make sure no more baddy things occur within her body. That was already heart-attack inducing!" Compa yelled, trying to look all tough, though being that this was Compa, all she really did was puff out her cheek and look obviously moé. Epica rose her hands.

"If ya say so, doc. She goes through tha' type of stuff all tha' time!" Epica chimed, scratching an itch behind her ear. The other doctors listened to the orders of Compa, and they proceeded to run out the door, ready to get the equipment needed to investigate a case of convulsions. IF stared at her friend as though she was a nuisance.

"Compa, as much as I hate saying it, Epica is correct in this situation. 5pb. just gets these often…remember how she became intimidated during our ASIC-hunting days? Yeah, this is pretty much the next form of that, but she gets better. Seriously, don't get that sweater in a bunch!" IF resounded Epica, folding her arms, smiling as she normally would. Compa still shook her head.

"Iffy, while I think it's pretty cute that you're good friends with 5pb., it is now doctor's orders to bring her help if she ever experiences these flashes of…shaking, okay? I just want her safe," Compa told her long-time buddy, grabbing herself a nifty clipboard, writing down that 5pb. definitely had a history of convulsions during the previous year. IF shrugged.

"If you say so. Still can't believe you actually became a doctor," IF said, quickly reaching for a portable towel, wiping her sweaty palms. Another puff cheek was raised from the mighty Compa.

"Was that an insult, missy? Do you deserve a smacking?" she said, waving her finger in the air. 5pb. simply slept once again, unaware of the news that was just about to break from the plot-convenient news-broadcast show, presented by the generically-named television network.

"We interrupt this rousing story about how devastating the weather will be tomorrow for a surprise public speech from our Lady of Green herself…eh, Lady Green Heart! Jeez, who wrote my-"

"Hey guys! Lady Gree' Heart's gonna give a speech!" Epica shouted, pointing at the screen. Compa, IF, the doctors in the room, the patient being operated on, and even 5pb. tilted their heads to view the screen (5pb. just happened to tilt her head that specific way). Another stretcher breezed by, but no one appeared to take any heed to it.

"Gee, why such a late broadcast?" Compa wondered, feeling awestruck by the strange scheduling of such an emergency meeting from the CPU herself. IF scowled and looked at the camera.

"I don't know, it is strange. It's probably because the author is horrible at knowing the time zones in Gamindustri!" IF quickly shouted. For a split second, Xnobody13 saw everyone stare at him in a death-like manner, and just as how the band named after a beetle did in that movie about a night being difficult, he ran like hell from the numerous fans of the series, though they wanted him dead instead of…well…

After that, they looked back at the screen, where Vert finally appeared at the podium, looking out at the crowd, looking as sharp and sophisticated as ever. The screen was blurry, but everyone could make out Chika in the background, who appeared alongside various soldiers from around Leanbox, and on the other side of the grand CPU stood, surprisingly, the CPU of Lowee, Blanc herself (Rom and Ram were absent, possibly due to age), along with Mina the Oracle. What on Gamindustri was this meeting for, and why did everyone look so wide awake? The answers appeared swiftly.

* * *

The message was as follows:

"Ladies and gentlemen of Leanbox, forgive me such a broadcast. I recorded this during the particular hour of noon, when the sun was much higher in the sky. Every four hours, this same recording will play again, until everyone in Leanbox understands the dire situation at hand. As of now, The Landmasses of Leanbox and Lowee are under Code-Red (Fun trivia: Code-Red in Gamindustri means both terrorism inside the landmasses, and outside the landmasses), due to various suspicions growing about the various cities. We want to inform you that worry should and will be expected, but do not let it overtake you, for this situation will hopefully be resolved within the coming week. Again, I am most humbly sorry for this interruption, but it is surely needed.

"As many have reported, civilians began to appear, as quoted from various citizens in Hero City, "Zombie-like," attacking others without rhyme-or-reason. We have so far recorded no casualties, but if people continue to be near these "Zombies," the number could potentially rise, and the injuries as of now are rather massive. It is unknown if this outbreak extended farther into the more rural towns and counties, but as of now, the National Guard has been stationed everywhere. We here at Leanbox know that the supply of human resources is low, but the number in the guard should be enough for a proper defense. I advise everyone hearing this to immediately lock all doors and windows in your house, and keep constant supervision in regards to children and livestock, in case of any "Zombies" in your vicinity. As of now, it has not been identified if this "Zombie" outbreak was from a terrorist exposition, or another cause.

"So far, 100 "Zombie-like" beings have been discovered, with 20 being detained and placed into specific hospitals, where treatment for these people will be administered. It is my sincerest apologies if those that are infected are relatives or loved ones, but I will assure you now that nothing terrible will occur to those you know and cherish. Please note that these beings enjoy being in densely populated areas, such as the cities, but they also apparently roam the forests in the south, so be on the constant alert if you are residing there. This outbreak will hopefully be quarantined very quickly and swiftly.

"Please note that Leanbox is not the only victim. Around the same time, Lady White Heart of Lowee has also experienced similar problems, as well as receiving elaborate and cryptic messages from an unknown source. Unlike our situation here in Leanbox, casualties have been reported on her landmass, proving that this is most certainly a high-level situation. As of now, we have not received word from either Planeptune or Lastation in regards to this horrific scenario, but several rumors have been past about mentioning sightings on those nations, though these rumors can't be confirmed at this time. Because of our similar situations, Lady White Heart and I made messages that will be broadcasted in our respective Landmasses, in order to ensure your general safety. We have currently made a temporary-partnership, so that we can quickly eradicate this problem before it escalates far beyond our control.

"Now, to many at home, this is only one part of the Code-Red alert. As many in Gargan City have announced to us, there appears to be a landmass floating out in the distance, close, but still plenty of miles away. We so far cannot confirm the identity of such a massive landmass, for the relay scouts I have sent, the ones with the red shirts, have yet to return from the strange land. We are not sure if this Landmass has any connection with the whole "Zombie" outbreak currently going on, but due to no reply received from them, along with the loss of our voyagers, we shall label this mysterious land as a threat. To anybody currently harboring on the shores of Leanbox, I advise you to immediately stop what you are doing and anchor your ships. If you know anyone heading to the land, stop them immediately, or may the gods bless them.

"All I can say is for everyone to obtain as much food and water that they can and remain indoors until this problem can be solved. We have yet to conjure up a time-frame, but once again we pray that this problem will be completed within the coming week. If this does not occur, please stay and support us, as we will be doing the best we can. The national cities of Leanbox and Lowee have gone under curfew, effectively starting today, along with the various cities and towns along our very landmasses. This does not appear to be an attack from Lastation or Planeptune, but they are still under suspicious watch until they officially reply. Again, we are sorry for this inconvenience, and hopefully the problem will be solved. Lady White Heart and Myself will ensure our very lives in protecting yours. Stay safe, Leanbox, and may lady-luck spare us all."

* * *

The group stared at the TV as a rerun of a show involving guys with big hair fighting another guy that also had huge hair. IF was flabbergasted by the whole thing.

"It could only be Lady Vert who could make this look like the end of the world. Seriously, are there really zombies running about?" IF asked, recalling someone at the concert shouting that very word. She would've investigated the whole matter, but she was busy helping 5pb. get to Gargan as fast as possible. Seriously, zombies? In such a wondrous series as this? Surely you jest!

"I've been hearing about that. Haven't you noticed the constant stream of stretchers driving by out there? shudder It scares me to even think about it!" Compa responded, looking out the hall as another stretcher passed by. "All those people are either the zombies themselves under a tranquilizer, or people who were sadly the victims of cruel, biased fate."

"Still can't believe it. Really? We're going with this kind of plot? Since when did we ever deal with something so dark like this?" IF ranted, looking back at 5pb. as she slept like a baby. She was so adorable when she slept…IF would kill me if I continued that, so let's move on, shall we?

"Come on, Iffy, even I could tell that the whole ASIC arc was strangely disturbing, especially that nightmare I told you about, where Ge-Ge…"

"Stop, okay," IF yelled, shaking her head in disapproval. No need to bring up that damn nightmare again.

"Aw, c'mon, zombies sound so ahsome, donchathink?" Epica blurted out, much to the chagrin of Compa and IF. No matter how many games existed on the market involving killing a mass number of the undead (or going through a dramatic survival show that everyone forgot was based off a surprisingly-disturbing comic book), the subject matter of zombies will always be a heavy subject matter in reality. Sadly, Epica felt more of an awesome album-cover idea rather than any other rational feelings.

"Well, hopefully Lady Vert's correct in what she says. I don't want to be dealing with zombies for the rest of this fanfic!" IF said, slightly chuckling to herself, though she batted a concerned eye at the idol in the bed. _Get well, Lyree, _she thought calmly.

"Iffy, I know I indulged in it too, but we must refrain from breaking the fourth wall way too much. It's disrupting the plot, hindering its progress," Compa said, with Epica and the other doctors looking at her in such a way that could only be described as comedic. IF sighed, knowing that no one else will understand what the hell they were talking about.

It was then that Epica quickly shouted "Fivey! Oh mi' gawd, someone help her!"

IF and Compa quickly looked back at the idol, and noticed that she was sinking into a void of darkness in her bed. How long this was occurring before notice was unknown to all, but whatever the case, she was falling in like that girl trapped in the castle, being lead to safety by some horned-kid. As if by instinct, IF quickly grabbed 5pb.'s wounded hand, trying desperately to pull her back up.

"Oh crap, what's going on? Dammit, stop sinking!" IF shouted, desperately tugging her friend to no avail. Compa quickly grabbed IF's free hand and helped support her long-time friend, also to no avail. _Oh crap, I can't hold on! Wait…oh shit!_

The reason why IF shouted profanity in her mind was that she found herself falling in as well, and pretty soon, just like a deranged conga line, Both her and Compa fell in with Lyrica at the front, shrieking in terror as the darkness swallowed them like a deadly creature. Epica and the other doctors who came in with the equipment could only stare in horror at the scene unfolding, and just as soon as it began, the darkness vanished.

What on Gamindustri just happened? Epica searched the bed, throwing the blanket everywhere, but never finding any of the three women who just vanished without a trace. All she could do was gawk in silence.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 152, para 1:_

"...I wonder why it is necessary from the calculations, but whatever occurs around the years 2010-2012, I must capture those that will fight against the resurrection of the Deity of Sin, whatever the hell that means, so that we may just find a way to stop this whole thing from occurring. But can this suit truly bring me that far into the future? Can I survive up until that point? What if, just maybe, I can't, and no one knows of the hell that will soon occur? What will happen to the world then?..."


	7. PART 1: The Phantom Issues a Warning

Chapter 09: In which a sinister message is broadcasted to the world of Lively Gaming

Noire and Whelps couldn't wait any longer, for the being simply continued to limp right in their direction. It sounded weak, of course, but the disturbing part about it was that it continued to cough, though it never shifted a single muscle within its metallic, bug-like face. Whelps held that gun up in the air, fully loaded with the bullets that always struck down injustice (just ask Nisa) with an iron burst of glory, ready at any moment to open fire, even though he didn't receive permission. The only thing he was allowed to do was wait, for his communication device with central base was out (okay, in reality he left it in the car, but he didn't want _that_ to be Noire's impression on him), leaving Noire to direct orders.

"This is your last chance! Stop in your tracks, or I will have to shoot!" he shouted, Noire right at the brink of transforming. Neptune and Nepgear were both on the defensive, one readying to transform, the other posing in a stereotypical kung-fu style (guess which one was which). The mood was growing heavy, and as another bolt of lightning streamed across the sky, Noire had a sudden, horrific thought. Where in the world were all her guards? She didn't like to be constantly defended and pampered by her own troops, but shouldn't they have stopped this tragedy of a being from stumbling into the Basilicom?

"How the hell did you get by my guards? Answer us, you freak!" Noire yelled, taking a step forward, her eyes already forming those weird-little-power-icon-thingies for pupils/irises. The creature didn't even attempt to reply, only coughing as it normally did and continuously walking towards them at a slow pace, its hat sloppily drifting down its shoulders, though the hair still remained obscured. "Answer me, or I _will _have the authority to end your miserable life!" Noire shouted once more. This was something she really didn't need at this moment, what with the share issue and all.

"Yeah! Listen to Noirey; she's one badass CPU, though her real ass is not that bad to-" Neptune began to chirp before being slapped by the Tsundere (she requested me to stop saying that, but she'll never find out!).

"You're not helping!" Noire shouted, quickly reverting her gaze back to the thing that still continued to move. Whelps tightened his grip around the gun, and placed his trusty trigger-finger right onto the…eh, trigger. He looked at Noire, raising an eyebrow as though to indicate the question of whether or not he should open fire. Noire grimaced as his highly-animated face made that look, but luckily for Whelps, deus ex machina dictates that Noire understands facial messages rather well, and she simply nodded to him. Whelps hoped she read the right message, as the next minute flew by rather quickly.

"Screw it," he mumbled, and with the flick of his trigger-finger, the bullet past right through the chamber of the gun and flew directly at the being still in motion. To many officers and inspiring detectives of the world, it is noted that in order to incapacitate a criminal or highly dangerous suspect, one should shoot the legs (arms if they are holding a weapon), so that they become immobile, and thus easier to maintain for further briefing. It's a crucial step in the laws of being a defender of justice, and only those that are simply reckless would shoot elsewhere, such as the head or chest. Whelps generally isn't the reckless type, but due to the moment of being rather terrified, he shot straight forward, with the bullet intending to hit around the diaphragm area. That form of firing should immediately throw anybody or anything to the ground.

Unfortunately, the being appeared to scoff at the bullet that lazily passed right through it. No, it wasn't one of those badass-style laughs pertaining to being stronger than the average bullet, but more or less one that dictated foolishness. Everyone in that room stared in shock at the sight before them, as the bullet easily went straight through its body, coursed through the air, and embedded itself onto the door-frame. There was no blood, no sense of pain or accomplishment, and the being remained unfazed. It was clear that Whelps didn't miss (it was impossible if that was the case), but the bullet just kind of…didn't do anything.

"Holy pancake batter!" Neptune shouted, smiling in a nervous way, her sense of battle quickly deteriorating. Noire stood shocked at the being, quickly sneaking a glance at Neptune as if she wanted to know why she said such a stupid phrase (Neptune detected this glance, and answered in her mind, _what? I'm hungry!_), before going back to being afraid. Whelps fired three more times, always aiming at the chest (it's a video game; accuracy-be-damned), but like the first bullet, all three of them fired through him, embedding into the door-frame without a care. The bullets didn't even make an impact onto the strange countenance of the being, making it appear as although…

…it wasn't there at all.

On the stairs, Nisa watched in horror as the scene unfolded before her. She saw her partner desperately try to subdue their opponent, but it was all to no avail. Could she have attempted to be heroic, being the heroine of justice? Yes, she probably could've done something (even if it had no absolute effect), but the sight of the being before her, with the gaze of a bug and a body made of lead, made her legs stiffer than a statue's. Her eyes were bulged, her mouth opened agape at the terror moving closer. It didn't detect her, and deep within her she wanted it to stay that way, but was that how the heroine of justice acted when the Goddesses of two nations (She saw Neptune, and wondered how that scene played out) were clearly in danger? No siree, but how was she going to move when the thing that apparated before her at the crime scene was present before them?

Still in the room, Uni walked around impatiently, hoping that everything was all right downstairs, before she heard the bullets ringing throughout the walls of the mighty dorm. She pressed her ear to the door, clearly hearing Whelps shouting something, and she recognized her sisters voice, though unlike how she normally spoke (a high-class citizen with no fear. "Keep calm and carry on" essentially describes her voice, kind readers), her voice was filled with disturbing amounts of dread. She heard a devilish cackling, and she wondered who on Gamindustri even fired? Did Nisa get down there and fire at the intruder, or perhaps her partner did the deed? What if the intruder fired first, taking out the wannabe heroine and the weird-looking detective at once? What if the person hurt her sister, or…what if they hit Nepgear? _I got to get out of here, now! _Uni thought. Knowing that Nisa didn't lock the thing or attempted to barricade the door, Uni kicked the damn thing down and ran out into the hall.

"G-Goodness! Please, just stop firing!" Nepgear shouted, cowering as the being just continued to march forward, with Whelps moving to the back of the group, swearing under his breath, noting that his last bullet was now infused into the door. Noire was still scared, though she was keeping her composure up hell of a lot better than the rest of them (Neptune was even slightly discouraged, though we couldn't include her in the ranking because frankly, I can't understand her). A small swirl of wind was beginning to form under her, and her twintails flew up into the air, beginning to turn an icy gray (Neptune was hoping for fanservice with that wind, but none was granted). The Being now stood two feet in front of her, and although it never truly let its gaze off of them, whatever it was planning beforehand was most likely reconsidered, as it now remained dormant, staring from Noire to Nepgear, never changing targets.

"A-All right, buddy, since I see you're not injured from Whelps, you should still be able to think. I'm giving you 5 seconds to tell me your purpose in being here, or I will be forced to do something so horrible, Nepgear's eyes will have to be closed!" Noire yelled, her feet suddenly moving her frame towards the creature. Neptune got her hands placed just above Nepgear's head as Noire was now kissing-distance from the thing, and let me tell you, Noire would have accepted death from fright right about now. The…thing had a face, obviously, but the key difference between hers and its was that it was completely metallic and immobile, with the eyes (which were disproportionate from the rest of the figure, taking up at least 70% of the face) resembling the ones sported by a common fruit fly. Its mouth was just a curved line stretching from one side of the bottom of the head to the other, only at a width of around 3 inches, with thousands of lines inside (it appeared to grin like an ass). The skin was perfectly silver, and if she listened closely, she heard some sounds of gears creaking.

The being looked straight into her eyes, tilting its head slightly, as though it never got a look at the CPU before. Noire felt her whole body going numb, the thunder and lightning in the sky above the Basilicom not helping matters. "Okay…5…4…" Noire began, trying to look as serious as possible, though the fright from within her made this impossible, making her own face appear to be a melting pot of emotions. Still, she slowly counted down to the number 1, and then going by .2 margins, before finally saying the finale of numbers, the grand creation of Gamindustri known as 0.

"Time's up!" Noire shouted. Eventually, the entire room of the Basilicom was engulfed in an aurora of light, the wind suddenly picking up, nearly blowing the party down in retaliation (the Nep sisters had experience with Goddess transformation, but it still often knocked them down whenever another transformed nearby). When the light faded off into the corners of the room, Noire was replaced by the rather futuristic looking Black Heart, her white hair in perfect juxtaposition to the black leotard-ish thingy that she wore, with the bizarre weapons of mass destruction floating all around her. Even though her face still had that melting pot feel, she appeared much more serious than before, leading to a fist-in-the-air from Neptune.

Black Heart was definitely swift in her attacks, and the attack she had caused with that megabuster-style sword from nowhere was certainly capable of dispatching the being, more than likely splitting it into two, symmetrical halves. The sword always eliminated its targets with ease, from the simplistic Dogoo to the overpowered Delphinius, never faltering; just like a Lastation sword, my friends. Everyone knew that if you were the designated target of the sword, and you were too slow to move out of the way, then death was your only escape from this forsaken world.

That sounded cool and all, but the being didn't even attempt to flinch, and the sword sliced right through it, with Black Heart shouting high into the heavens "Hiyaah!" the impact alone should have sent the being's blood flying all over, but nothing was produced; not even a simple yelp of pain was brought out by the thing. Noire stood in that striking position for a couple of seconds, taking deep breaths as she didn't realize that the thing was unharmed, unmoved, and, quite frankly, seriously dangerous. The others of coursed notice (Nepgear had her eyes shut the entire time) that the thing was not damaged, and even Nisa could feel the pain that was most likely going to occur.

Black Heart released the weapon from the thing, and she dreadfully realized that it easily left the body without as much as a hesitation. When she completely removed the sword from where a major incision should be seen, she gasped in shock, for the being was still completely solid! Nothing was made onto the being, and while his face was frozen in that eternal grin, Black Heart could hear the sounds of wheezing and coughing, though under all that ruckus appeared the sounds of laughter; horrific, distasteful laughter.

"B-But…How…then, wha?" she stumbled about in her words. Neptune's smile of anticipation over such a huge, potential fight quickly faded away into an open mouth of freakoutness, her hands lifting off of Nepgear's eyes, who quickly saw the situation they were in (she also felt relieved, not wanting to see too much blood. "Scratchface" was more than enough for her). Whelps couldn't believe the sight before him (nor could he get over that transformation. That was _awesome)_, and still on the stairs, Nisa felt as though passing out was the greatest option. Behind her, Uni smashed open the door.

The being looked straight into Black Heart's eyes, though his gaze quickly change to look at the stairs, instigating alarm in Nisa's system. It rose its hand up into the heavens, and without twitching a single, piece of muscular flesh, said flatly: "Child! Remove yourself from that stairway apparatus this instant, or face an alarming projectile from down that corridor!" Everyone quickly faced the stairs to see Nisa, who recently grew pale. I-It talked. How on Gamindustri is that possible? It has no functioning mouth!

But whatever the case was, the being did not lie, as Nisa felt a terrible pain in her back, and the next thing she knew was that the whole world flipped over upon its side. After several, hilarious hits to the head from the remaining steps, Nisa landed on the ground, groaning at that variation of pain, before feeling even worse as something heavy smashed into her stomach. Wincing once more, Nisa opened one eye, and saw Lastation's candidate on her, who was currently rubbing her head, possibly unaware of Nisa under her. _Should…should have kept that door locked….oh…._

Nepgear and Whelps quickly ran towards them (Neptune would've as well, but she wanted to make sure Black Heart was all right, as well as enjoying the wind that was blowing under her, ready for her to transform), but the being stretched out its hand again. "Quell the fire in your eyes, heathens! Let those unruly stand for themselves, less they shall be considered unforgivable wretches," it said, growling at first before retreating to a lower growl. The two of them stopped mid-strut, frozen in either hilarious or uncanny positions. Uni heard that remark, and quickly got up (Apparently _not_ an unforgivable wretch).

"What did you just call me, asshole? Who are you, anyways?" the Candidate yelled, stomping her foot in anger, frustration, and to quell that sleepy-leg syndrome of hers. Nisa eventually was up, amazed at the sight of Black Heart before her, and felt disdain at the figure residing nearby. Her breathing became rather sporadic, to say the least.

Black Heart grunted again, and once more slices were made in its general direction. Also, just like last time, all three did manage to break through it, but it was just like slicing air: nothing gained, nothing lost. "Just…get hit, already!" Black Heart shouted, continuously swiping it down, but it was all to no avail. The being only laughed.

"Holy crapparoni, it's invincible!" Neptune shouted, stepping right next to Black Heart, before transforming herself, turning from a simplistic moe archetype into a surprisingly Joan De Arc-laden Goddess. Now that two of the strongest beings in all of the Universal dimensions (dare I say it that the universe was… "hyperdimensional?") were present in that Basilicom, two swords were constantly slashing and colliding into one another, being embedded into the being, or at least that is what they wanted to occur. The being only sighed, waiting for the Goddesses to, eventually, tire themselves out and admit defeat. Nepgear and Whelps helped their partners up (not _that _type of partner in reference to Uni and Nepgear, but honestly, readers, were we even thinking that?), running over to the battle, staying somewhat distant as the sword slashing grew rather ferocious.

"Um, sis…Miss Black Heart? I don't think you're doing anything," Nepgear said sheepishly, wondering just how long they were going to be at this. Purple Heart scoffed, continuing to create sparks all about the room.

"Relax, my sister, this being is clearly a nuisance on Lady Black Heart, and while it shows no pain right now, eventually our swords will connect with its metallic flesh!" Purple Heart and Black Heart continued to fight, looking as though they were fighting themselves rather than fighting the creature before them. They were always the competitive type, but in this situation, it was truly unnecessary.

The being could not take this any longer. "Dear lord of the mighty heavens, will you listen to that wretch over there! Let me simply talk, and we can resolve this painful mess that I must've set out upon you," the being said, scratching its chest as the swords continued to flail down. They didn't stop attacking at any moment, but eventually their swords collided with one another, becoming interlocked and twisted about, which I didn't even think was possible with solid objects like that. Both of the Goddesses were breathing heavily, looking at one another as the swords wouldn't budge (the Neptune in Purple Heart's mind was smirking from this imagery).

"How…are you not…being hit?" Black Heart demanded weakly. It was already bad that she was tired before all this, but the sleepiness was ready to finally eradicate rational thought.

"Simple, my kind warriors. If you happened to open those weak eyes, you would be able to see that while I preside before you at this point, I am but a hologram inside this dark and hideous Basilicom. One of my various, wondrous inventions, if I must praise myself," The being went on. Before the others could do anything, he quickly slashed both Goddesses, who were ready for the sudden impact, but were surprised to find that nothing was felt. "See, dear ladies? I am, right at this moment, completely harmless to you and the friends that remain behind you."

Uni was mouthing the words "What the hell is going on?" to the others, and Nepgear filled her in on the whole ordeal. Her eyes grew frightened, and she contemplated transforming as well. "No, Uni; it's a hologram, remember?" Nepgear stated so officially. Uni shook her head in annoyance.

"Okay, I'll accept that answer for now, but who on Gamindustri are you, dammit? Why didn't you say anything before?" Black Heart demanded, readying her sword even though she knew it was useless. The being waved its hands at them, turned to face towards the door, and once more stood like a statue. It's scarecrow like appearance was definitely unsettling in the dark room.

"My lady, this hologram is but a prototype, and as you saw me enter this room, I was still connecting. Poor communications due to the thunderstorm was sadly making me lag in, but eventually I found the loophole that was required for me to communicate with all of you," it began to say, looking up at the window on the roof, watching the bullets of rain collapse onto the mighty building. Waiting for Black Heart to stop panting, the being continued: "My lady, I must also go on and admit disappointment in the fact that you do not recognize this face. Does thou not know of my story?"

The girls (and Whelps) looked at one another, unsure of what it meant. "Afraid not, buddy. Now, answer Lady Black Heart, or face…" Purple Heart began to say, before quickly stopping, as she really couldn't do a thing. The Being looked at them perplexed, before going all annoyed (and yes, its face just continued to grin whenever it was perplexed and annoyed. The mind would be a better area, I guess).

"S-Seriously, you don't know? My countenance was removed from this planet by you, and forced me to live my days in grief and agony, and you have the gall to forget my very, formidable existence? Dear writer, please refrain from using 'it' to describe me; I might not look like a person in this body, but I am and always will be, a 'he,'" The being questioned as the author removed "it" from any further description of this character. The girls all looked at him disturbingly, and the being could only look away in disgust. Purple Heart quickly reverted to Neptune (it was useless to remain in that form), with the hoodie magically reappearing over her body (how do the clothes come back, anyways?).

"Nope, haven't a clue about what you're talking about? Ohhh, but how does that hologram doohickey work, anyways?" the purple-haired girl asked, much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone in the room. Nepgear was holding Uni back from attempting to kill the mannish thing, Whelps placed a palm on his head in confusion, and Nisa was still frozen, trying to proclaim to the world that she indeed saw this specter of a man.

Black Heart soon returned to her Noire form, looking exceptionally tired as well as angry. "Listen, no one here has a clue about what the hell you're talking about. Either tell us your name, or…watch me constantly try to attack you!" Noire shouted, wit Neptune pointing at her, nodding her head as though to say to the being that he will surely not make it. The being shook its head.

"Dammit, fine. Just give this vessel one moment to prepare his introductions," the being said, and looked up at the sky. That was it. He just looked up at the sky and stood there, not moving or making a single sound (besides one cough). The rest of the group looked at one another, unsure of what to do. What the hell was he even doing, anyways? Did he just enjoy the torrent of rain falling upon them, and was escaping reality for just a moment? Was he planning something in his head, and this was his thinking pose? Gosh, this is the reason why I hate OC's.

Eventually, the being looked down again, nodding four times, before he took one foot and pressed it just a bit in front of him. "Dear ladies of the cowardly Gamindustri, I am the being shadowed by a dark reverence. I am a man placed into the harm of a curse, one that was brought onto this soul by your very black magic. I am a soul intertwined with this fake vessel, granting me eternal life, but also giving me eternal pain of which knows no bounds. In your lands, I am but a stain on your putrid reputations, and my name is now a dark syllable to my living identification. Ladies of Gamindustri, I…am…"

The being held that ellipses for about five seconds, before he finally capt it off with the disturbing syllable he just mentioned.

"…The Phantom!"

Apparently he was waiting for the clouds to give indication of when the next bolt of lightning would break across the clouds (how he did this, I don't know), so that cursed name would be granted much more prominence. After the lightning fled the sky, the Phantom looked around and waited for the remembering faces to come about, but all they did was still look at him funny, like Nisa who was still trying to speak about his sighting earlier in the morning. Uni did show reaction, but from the lightning, not his hammy opening (Uni hated lightning, and acted like a little child whenever a streak was visible to her). She quickly hugged Nepgear, though she could have hugged someone else. It wasn't like she perferred Nepgear or anything.

"Who?" Neptune asked bluntly, shattering The Phantom's ego. Noire would have typically yelled at the other CPU for acting so stupid, but honestly, that was what Noire was saying in her head. The Phantom, really? Isn't that some purple-costumed superhero? Heh, Neptune was more of The Phantom than this freak! The man himself could only grin at them, but deep inside that endless gaze was the sense of disgust. They literally forgot him! Those that damned him have forgotten him after all this time!

"How…freakin' crass of all of you. I have left Gamindustri for what must have been about seven decades, due to _your _heinous deeds upon me and…wait," The Phantom began to rant before coming to a complete halt. He looked over everyone, from the topmost curl in his or her hair to the last bit of matter on his or her feet. Something was wrong to him, and the moe archetypes and Whelps in the room were completely confused for what was possibly the 100 occurrence in less than two hours. No, something wasn't correct about this lot. "Forgive me for my asking, you sinner's, but from my recollection, weren't there a plentiful cast of colorful and overall dingy cast of characters who served under you during the assault from ASIC?"

Noire and Neptune looked at one another. "How…how do you know about that?" Noire asked, feeling a horrible sensation from her spine.

"Yeah, what are you, some creepy stalker or something? While I totally dig the completely holographic thing you got going, but if I find out where you live, a serious can of whoop-ass will probably be opened. Besides, do you think we would just tell you about our adventures to a totally creepy stranger?" Neptune chimed in to get her two credits. Noire nodded, though she still felt unsure by what Neptune just said. No need to admit that there was an adventure involving ASIC or anything to a stranger that is possibly dangerous. No, he was probably just making a wild guess, and knew nothing. Damn, Neptune sometimes just pisses her off. Then again, she did say that line in her previous dialogue line…

"Uh, yeah, we'll never tell you anything, so how about you get loss, turn yourself into the police, and we'll all have a nice day, okay?" Noire asked, gritting her teeth. Uni puffed her cheek, wanting to affect something in this scene at some point. Luckily for her, she will get her two credits very, _very_ soon.

The Phantom laughed to the storm above. "Yes, I did not doubt your stubbornness. Surely the Goddesses would never change in their demeanor and respect for thyself. Yes, truly a tragedy when a Land leader can't reveal the most basic form of information to the masses of the world," he said, snapping his figure, laughing till he coughed. It was certainly a disturbing sight. "However, are these, dear Goddesses, the vessels in which hold your sisters?" He capped off. Noire was finally realizing that during almost every sentence The Phantom spoke, he insulted them, though this was not the thing that completely held her mind in check.

"Damn right, that's my little sis, and if you even attempt to lay one of those holographic fingers on her itty-bitty shoulder, I'll…I'll rip you apart and send you to [_censored_] hell!" Neptune shrieked, looking like she was ready to transform once more. Everyone, including The Phantom looked on at her in terror. Neptune looked about the room with dot-eyes, looking as innocent as ever.

"What, not allowed to throw in a precision F-strike every once in awhile? It's rated M folks, I don't think it needs to be censored," she said sheepishly. The author explained that if any moe that wasn't Blanc or possibly IF swore, it would be censored to preserve their innocence in the spectrum of the universe (though Nisa once said Bastard). Neptune replied with a nonchalant "oh" before punching the author out of the story and continued the plot, because we seriously need to continue this thing, folks.

"Uh…yeah, only I'm allowed to hurt my sister in anyway, shape, or form, so back off, cretin!" Noire shouted, feeling completely helpless against an opponent that wasn't truly there. The Phantom scoffed at them, and Uni even scoffed at her sister.

"Yeah, thanks, Noire. Glad to know I mean a lot to you," she said as the Phantom ominously lurched forward. Nepgear stood her ground (feeling petrified; of course), ready for whatever this being was going to do to her. She knew that she was the Candidate of Planeptune, and she should stop acting like a scaredy cat and gain a stiff upper-lip. It was the only way to show she wasn't scared of this man of nothingness, but she knew deep inside that she was destined to fail. However, right as The Phantom reached the two Candidates, a gun was extended, intending the barrel to be placed right on his forehead, though being that he doesn't really exist there, the gun went right through him. The Phantom could only laugh at Whelps ignorance.

"Sir who I have no idea who's name is-"

"Whelps, LSPD, and I require you to stay your ground away from the Candidates."

"Whelps. Such a stupid Brodie of a name. Tell me, strange curiosity of man, what, exactly, are you?"

"I am a detective, Phantom, and I-"

"Heh, no. _What _are you?"

"A…male?"

"A male…what?"

"Detective?"

It was a strange conversation, but in the end Whelps was depressed, for The Phantom said "You, my friend, are but a Male OC in an all-girl ensemble. Surely you will meet your maker by the end of this all, so I suggest you sit on down over there and shut your fucking mouth." Whelps knew that no more bullets remained in that gun, and even if they did, he was completely helpless. All that work to be a detective for nothing. Nepgear patted his shoulder as went on to sulk in the corner. His partner, Nisa, was still standing and filled to the brim with shock.

The Phantom returned to the Candidates. "Now, you two, I haven't gazed upon you since you were but children still being strolled around. You look older, but still appear to be naïve. Tell your friendly, neighborhood Phantom about your various partners during that tumultuous part of your lives." He gazed at them with sickening eyes, but Uni and Nepgear remained unmoved.

"Ha, you really think we're naive? I highly doubt you knew us back then, but even if you did, you're really not friendly in the slightest. Buzz off!" Uni declared, smirking as though she already won.

"Goodness, I don't think I knew you back then…but even still, you insulted Uni and my sis, plus you made her swore, so I'll never trust you!" Nepgear added, looking rather mad for a girl who was constantly the saint of the party. The Phantom was amused by their resilience, and could have done multiple things, like say something in offense, psychologically slap them, tell them off, or even play dead, but instead he chose a rather risky move. He stood their, staring deep into their souls, not moving or making a sound; just the uncanny sight of his fruit-fly eyes in the darkest Basilicom ever conceived.

At first, the Candidates just looked at him weird, but soon their faces loosened to slight annoyance, than fear, than utter terror, till finally they stood as though they were about to salute the goddamn being. They were shaking violently, sweat pouring off of them as though they were the basis for a waterfall, and their teeth were audibly clicking throughout the Basilicom. Neptune and Noire ran up to them, but The Phantom extended his arm out, and while it was certainly just holographic air, the girls felt suddenly frozen in their own fright.

"Uh, yes, we do know others that were with us," Uni nodded as quickly as possible.

"Y-yeah, we'll tell you their names, okay? Okay," Nepgear announced, clearly sounding like she had a gun place on her back threateningly. The Phantom was amused.

"Then announce their names, please."

Uni and Nepgear stared at him, but their mouths in perfect unison, as though it was choreographed. "Vert, Blanc, Ram, Rom, IF, Compa, Gust, 5pb., Cave, Falcom," were the names addressed out loud. The Phantom chuckled and finally relinquished his gaze. Uni and Nepgear both coughed and looked at each other, before breaking down and crying like babies; guess that whole biz on trying to be Candidates wasn't working out for them.

"Hah, knew we were short by many!" The Phantom squeed in joy, bouncing around the room like that guy with green hair that constantly plays jokes on people to death. "Alright, Goddesses…and Whelps and flatty. Let me bring in our missing members!" The Phantom ran up to the center of the room and rose his arms to the sky, almost going back into his thinking pose again.

"What did he do to our sisters?" Noire asked her purple-hair friend. For once in her life, Neptune finally expressed general concern in her shrugs, as she ran to comfort her darling Nep Jr. What cretin could make such a wonderful woman like Nepgear cry so hard in fright and in depression? Isn't there a law that states that if you in some way hurt a moe's feelings, you could get sentenced to death without a trial-by-jury? Probably only in Planeptune, but I digress.

A green aura appeared above The Phantom's head, and it was clear that it continuously grew. He was holding something that looked like a knife, though that could just be the lighting engine of the game causing an illusion. He cackled and cackled, the green aura growing to the point of obscuring the top part of his body. The Candidates, Goddesses, Nisa and not Whelps thought that he was bizarrely terminating his life (possibly by accident), but their thoughts quickly ended when three bodies flew out of the spiraling vortex, smashing against the floor, screaming on their way out (two were at least; one appeared to be sleeping). One had a leafy beret on, another had a doctor's outfit, and the other was, to put it bluntly, 5pb.

"Ah," The Phantom proclaimed, "I call this machine the deus ex machina machine. Teleport what you need, when you need it!" He looked over at the three souls, who were freaking out right about now, finding that this was not the hospital that they once inhabited. "Damn, only got three of them. sigh Oh well, I guess the rest of you lot must informed the others yourselves."

IF had no idea what was going on, but feeling the hard floor of Lastation's Basilicom brought back haunting memories of Kei's fury. Compa was scared out of her mind, not knowing why the sky was a pale white, but the indoors were pitch black. Lyrica yawned as she suddenly woke up, only to find that her bed was nowhere to be found, and instead marble was her current mattress. Her fingers were still wrapped up, so that's good, but unfortunately she landed somewhat on her head, causing a small gash to form, blood dripping out. IF saw her and quickly rushed to her aid, unaware of the people.

"Iffy, were are we? Am I dreaming?" 5pb. asked, looking around the room, vision blurry, meaning no identification on her part.

IF rubbed a handkerchief over her gash. "I don't think so, and I think we're in Lastation somehow," she said, noticing Compa fumbling about on the ground at a loss for words.

"I…guess we are…ahh!"

5pb. suddenly shrieked, causing IF to jump and look behind her, as Lyrica saw something back there that caused the worst comfort to her in ages. What IF saw even freaked her out, and while Compa was about to say something productive, she too looked back and saw a monstrosity standing there, and she shrieked just like an stereotypical dumb-blonde would. Neptune and the others were still pretty shocked as to how The Phantom made such a device, but Neptune was strangely composed.

"Iffy, Compa, and even 5pb.? Hey guys, did you meet the scumbag over here?" she said, acting as though she had a conversation with them last night, when in reality it was more like half-an-entire-year. IF and 5pb. looked at her, than back at the beast before them.

"No, never did, now what the hell are we doing here? H-How are we here in the first place?" IF demanded, helping both 5pb. and Compa up off their keesters and regained her own composure, ready to attack the thing. Why was she in Lastation, and why were Neptune, Nepgear, Nisa, and some weird person doing here as well? Gah, how the flying hell did they wind up in the Basilicom in the first place? Can someone answer that, please?

"I…I…" 5pb. began, scared to the bone at the thing in front of her. In her mind, she was actually relieved, for IF and the others appeared to notice the being in front of them, meaning she was definitely not insane (but how did he float?). IF looked at her, concerned for her friend's deep cut, but 5pb. patted her on the shoulder to indicate she was alright. "I know you…you were at my concert, and…you floated above everyone," Lyrica said, frightened, but speaking in monotone.

The figure shrugged. "Indeed I was, and I am glad that at least someone remembered me. I knew you and that girl in that stylish beret were there, so I tried to warn you to bring about a journey to this landmasses' Basilicom, but unfortunately this holographic machine lags like all hell, so I only appeared before you and not her, or anyone else. You are one of the girls that traveled with these fine creatures, correct? You, that short one, and that lovely medic I believe also journeyed with you, hm?"

IF grimaced at the man's voice, not wanting to answer, but 5pb. and Compa both nodded, as though they were lost in a trance. 5pb. wondered if this was the man who caused her to suddenly flip out like that at the crowd, and Compa wondered if the man was responsible for 5pb.'s breakdown. Still, they couldn't say anything on their behalf, for a certain heroine of justice suddenly burst out into speech.

"HeyIsaw...youatthecrimescene...youpointedtotheclu e...thatwewerelookingfor...andcausedsomuchworryonm ymind...Ialsosawyou...attheconcertand...Igotfreake dout  
...butIknewyouwereevil...youselfishpieceofevil...I knewIsawyou...knewitknewitknewit!"

Nisa promptly collapsed due to sheer exhaustion, causing Whelps to make sure she was all right. The Phantom shrugged. "Okay, two people. More the merrier, I presume. Either way, let me catch these newcomers up."

He retold his tale from the countless number of papers above, much to the disdain of the audience. For your pleasure, this paragraph was used to describe it. Either way, IF, Compa, and 5pb. were at least clarified on certain things, though that didn't really help their anger at all.

"Okay, I'll buy what you just said, but why do you need us? 5 really needs help here!" Compa yelled with a puff cheek. The Phantom himself couldn't take the Doctor so seriously, but he knew that he had to answer. It was the least he could do so that the chapter could finally end.

"Because, dear friends, while I am still ticked off that none of you remember me, I must bring on the warning," The Phantom began, folding his arms behind his back, adjusting the fading hat on his head, "The end of days is most likely upon us. Dare I say it, but I need all of you to arrive on my landmass in about one week. You are needed to stop this catastrophe from ever occurring, and if you value your lives as well as the ones you govern, you will arrive at my landmass with _everyone_."

Noire nodded. "Okay, two questions."

"Yes?"

"What landmass?"

The Phantom laughed. "Why, the obvious one just outside the coastline. You can't honestly tell me that you never seen this landmass yet. Hell, I could possibly see it right now if I felt like it!" he yelled, shaking the Basilicom around him. Uni, Nepgear, Compa, and IF suddenly recalled that yes, there was indeed another landmass out in the distance (Ge-Ge and Uni saw it, Compa and IF heard about it).

"Crap," Uni whispered to Nepgear, "forgot to tell Noire about that!"

"Okay, I'll…investigate that, but my next question is why us? Hell, a third question is how can we trust you on all this?" Noire continued to ponder to the mysterious man. The others agreed with her, gathering around Noire as The Phantom took center stage.

"Ladies, you must be reassured that if you _did_ remember me, or at least accepted me back then, then you would see that I am a man of science, and everything I have predicted came true. I have foreseen the ending occurring in about at least three weeks. I have been developing a machine that could stop this from occurring, but the only way to power it is if Goddesses and their respective Candidates are nearby. Thus, you are needed to be on that landmass, so the machine could be powered up, and the end could be resolved."

IF shook her head in disgust. "Yeah, cool story, bro, but why the hell would you need us? We're not Goddesses or Candidates, so wouldn't we be useless in the end?" IF asked, committing a face-palm. Compa, 5pb., and Nisa in her dream nodded in confirmation, knowing that they were rather tough on the battlefield, but the Goddesses The Phantom demanded. The Phantom coughed, and said:

"Just do as I say, all right?"

Neptune laughed whole-heartingly and stood proud. "Yeah, the world is ending all right. Hey, what if we decide that we don't want to listen to you?" she said, and Noire felt that what she just said was the greatest lines ever uttered by her since her inception upon this world.

But, unfortunately The Phantom laughed again, much to her vexation. "If you fail to comply to me, you fucking whore, than I will simply cause death upon all of you before the end could even reach you. It will be your early ticket to the darkest depths of Gamindustri Graveyard!" he yelled, sounding so serious yet still retained that grin of his. Big exclamation points appeared above all of their heads, though Noire wasn't afraid in the slightest. How he knew of the Graveyard, she'll care about later.

"Now you are just bullshitting with us! How could someone like you, who can't even show himself in the flesh, expect to defeat the strongest party known to man?" she said so proudly, you wouldn't expect her to have the sudden urge to just pass out like Nisa. She felt like she got The Phantom now, expecting this figure to just be the imagination of some basement-dweller (the real Phantom was probably a fat loathe who had 400 kittens living with him…okay, Noire wanted 400 kittens, but that's besides the point) who will seriously spend some jail time.

The Phantom, however, laughed so loudly that the eardrums of everyone shattered like mad (not really, of course). "Trust me, fine Goddess, tell your Oracles about me, and you'll see how terrifying I am. Oh yes, Histoire will certainly remember me," he said, chuckling at almost every word. Noire was taken back along with Neptune and Nepgear, not enjoying how he rolled out Histoire's name like that. Even though they wanted to fight back, The Phantom appeared triumphant against this massive party.

It was then that, with another bolt of lightning, The Phantom began to fade. "Ah, bollocks! This damn thing isn't reliable at all!"

Noire quickly retorted, "You better not leave! We are definitely not finished here!"

However, once more, The Phantom laughed, though his voice was much more distant than before. "Forgive me, but I believe it truly is. Remember. Bring _everyone _from your ASIC days over to our landmass in about one week. If not everyone shows up, or you don't arrive in time, I'll commit a mass genocide on all of Gamindustri!" he shouted. Noire quickly leaped at him, knowing full well that he wasn't even there, though if she had to end a confrontation, might as well make it as epic as all hell. The Phantom soon apparated out of the room, leaving the girls alone in silence.

"So…" 5pb. quickly said, smiling but ultimately shaking in fright, "What now?"

Everyone was lost in thought, hearing words from a man that could be either the real thing or some asshole who decided to scare them. Was he correct in that the world was going to end in possible three weeks? Did he have the power to stop it? Should they even listen to him? Oh, the hysteria that went through their minds, all thanks to some creep with a knack at inventions.

He knew Histoire, though, and if she could confirm his danger level, than they had little time to just sit around and contemplate matters.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 150, para 2:_

"...Then it is decided. Somehow, during those years, a new breed of Heart will emerge, and the Grey Hearts of Inoch Benio Mater shall fall, thus bringing in a new family of rulers for that continent. Somehow, one of those Goddesses will be a part of the whole Deity of Sin mumbojumbo, and something will occur during the years after that will result in everyone investigating it. By rounding the three and multiplying it by the base factor of 5 to the 9th power, it is clear that, during a rainy day, I shall appear before them, and maybe, just maybe, we can stop this whole mess..."


	8. PART 2: Our Friends see a New Land

Seasons don't fear the reaper, but they do fear The Phantom

* * *

Part 02:

The Perplexing Landmass

* * *

Chapter 10: In Which seeing the brand new landmass causes conflict, confusion, and confinement

We here at…wherever the author is writing from (and whoever else was there to constitute the "We") would like to say that after The Phantom officially vanished from that dark Basilicom, there was a river of emotion that ran across those that happened to see this so-called "dangerous" man. The first emotion was understandably confusion, but it soon grew to anger, then psychological pains, then frustration, then utter despair, than back to anger and bewilderment, then finally depression just to finish this elongated sentence. It was all too much to take in such a small time-frame, but the worst part about all this was whether or not the Goddesses and the humans around them should even believe in this strange warning given by a man who wasn't even there to begin with.

"Well, um…hm…," Neptune was thinking out loud, though she was really focusing on the big statue in the corner of the room. Nepgear and Uni were still sniffling, and the three souls that were imported into the Basilicom were still in a state of bafflement (5pb. was at least feeling better. It is a sin to have her feel so sick). The sky was fortunately lighting up, with the storm finally blowing over, but even at that, the Basilicom was still filled with a disturbing scale of darkness. Neptune was still looking at the statue, and Noire was impressed in the fact that the bumbling Goddess was actually giving this some serious thought, though this wonderful feeling was soon ripped apart when Neptune asked "So, how long has that statue been there, anyways?"

After a thorough smacking, Noire felt equally distressed and tired. "Idiot, think about the subject at hand, not that stupid statue! Besides, you destroyed it once; it's still being repaired!" the Tsundere yelled, making all that remained in that building wince at the sudden loudness. Neptune had a rather hefty bump growing on the side of her head.

"Jeez, okay, sorry. You can't really expect me to remember a statue! Okay, so, what are we going to do about this whole…'Phantomy' debacle, hm?" Neptune asked, smiling as though this situation was nothing more than getting the ball that was lost in the thicket.

"That's what we're trying to find out, Nep-Nep. This Phantom's a certified meany, barging in the Basilicom and throwing us out of Leanbox…he got some nerve to do that to poor Iffy and Fivey!" Compa yelled in whatever way she could, question marks surrounding her head as thoughts continuously entered and vacated her mind. IF shook her head, annoyed that such a stupid thing could occur to her; even during the sluggish days of ASIC, she didn't end up being teleported all the way across freaking Gamindustri for no distinguishable reason.

"Damn right. How the hell did he even do that? Ah, screw it. How long did he say we had before the "end" supposedly occurs?" IF responded, rubbing her eye, feeling as though her brain wanted to escape her head (migraines suck). She gently held 5pb. (however you gently hold someone), still trying to stop her horrific-looking gash from emitting that damn red liquid; it cooled down since they first got here, and Lyrica told her friend that she was okay, but IF didn't want to risk anything. Compa will surely have to investigate this, but at a hopefully-sooner-time.

Neptune licked her index finger. "I believe this stupid gent said in roughly around three weeks, it will be the end of the world as we know it, and I surely wouldn't feel fine! Man, do we _realllly _got to go there by next…whatever day it will be in seven days?" she churned, falling dramatically to the floor, spreading herself under the window, where now only a light drizzle fell to the glass that rang oh, so coolly. Noire quietly whispered to the purple goddess to sit back up else face certain death, who stood back up with a daze.

"I don't know, Neptune. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out if we should believe him or not. He looked dangerous, yeah, but if he was just a hologram, then who's to say he wasn't just a fat toad who really deserves the worst beating Lastation could offer on his sorry ass?" Noire sighed through as she said that. She was clearly fatigued, overworked, and extremely stressed, and adding this stupid situation was seriously breaking her apart. Neptune noticed this, but she decided not to comment.

Nepgear and Uni shook their heads in unison. "I don't know, Noire. He did _something_ to us, making us speak like robots. Jeez, what a stupid jerk. If someone could make me, a stoic person, cry like a baby, then they enemies to me," Uni told, still sniffling as she felt as though that was the most embarrassing thing she had ever said to most of the party. It was hard to tell, but if you looked extremely closely (zoom in with the R2 button ladies and gentlemen), you could see Uni patting Nepgear (who was still trying to regain herself) on the back, something she would be caught dead doing. Damn, she caught on to us. It wasn't like she really cared for Nepgear that much, anyways.

Noire felt furious. "Uni, seriously? Out of all of us, I would assume you would be the one who would question a random stranger, but then again, I don't know what goes on in the minds of juvenile delinquents," the Lastation CPU said, smiling slyly, hoping to quickly pinch a nerve.

"Ugh, Noire, come on! It's been about 5 chapters since we began this argument, and it's still going on? Look, I'm sorry, all right? Listen, I think whoever this Phantom is could be the real deal. Use your head for once, Noire!" Uni snapped back, making Nepgear quickly recover, realizing now that Uni was probably going to die.

"What the hell did you just say, you little punk?" Noire yelled, stomping towards her little sister, enraged, though that fatigue within her was beginning to take over drastically fast. Uni knew all-too-well what mistake she had made, and she held her hands up in fear. Could she take on her own sister? Depends on if the player purchased DLC (Noire had the advantage of being level 999, compared to Uni's measly 99 power level), but in most regards she would at least last one hour before being used to wipe the floor. If it wasn't for Nepgear intervening, Uni would most likely be that pile of dust lying right next to you.

"Please Noire! I…I agree with Uni, too. Please don't fight now!" the little Candidate begged, stretching her arms out to create a makeshift shield. Noire had that strange red symbol above her eye, and case-in-point her eyes were indeed twitching, but she knew that hurting Nepgear would be wrong, so she attempted to cool herself down. Attempted.

"Gah, even you, Nepgear? Does anyone else for just a second believe that this guy was nothing but a total tool and fake?" Noire questioned, looking about at the colorful cast of characters, hoping for someone to agree with her. Sadly, Whelps was not one of those people.

"I believe the Candidates are correct on this on, Lady Noire. When The Phantom spoke to me before, I felt as though something was preventing me from doing _anything._ It might have just been fear, but something definitely seemed off with him," Whelps told the CPU in distress. Nisa was still clocked out on the ground, Whelps trying everything in his power to revive her to the conscious world. 5pb. coughed, and added:

"I-I saw him at the concert, and he did something terrible to me. I can't really understand what he did, but somehow he controlled me, and from what I heard, I said some bad things to my audience." 5pb. looked down at the floor in shame, fearing the worst in that her audience probably hates her now. Nah, that's unlikely; they're all too drugged-up to begin with. _No, _5pb. thought, _try to think positive. Think negatively, and your head hurts._

"If this jerk made 5pb. here really act strange, then I'm considering him a threat as well. Besides, if there is a landmass out there, then I'm assuming he might actually hold some truth in him. I don't like to say it, but I think we should listen to him," IF stated, still rubbing away some blood on Lyrica's head. Small sparkles emitted from Neptune's head.

"Oh yeah, that landmass! Come on, Noirey, I seriously need to see it," Neptune said, briskly grabbing Noire by the hand and dragging her to the door. Noire of course protested being dragged out of her own Basilicom, but she knew she had to analyze a potential threat whenever it displayed itself to Lastation. The others were ready to follow (Uni preparing her umbrella, just to be safe), when out of the blue, a strange phrase was cried out to the heavens, eternally echoing throughout the Basilicom. The phrase matched nothing with the situation at hand, and in quite honesty, it wouldn't make sense in any given situation. It was a phrase that literally knocked a man out.

"Mist Dragon cheese!"

The girls all looked over at Nisa, who suddenly was sitting up, her left fist protruding out in the air. Whelps was now the unconscious one, his fedora flung almost halfway across the room. The girls could only stare with dot eyes as the Heroine of Justice returned to her feet in such a glorious way!

"Whoops, forgive me, partner. Didn't happen to see you there!" Nisa shouted, looking pretty professional for a person that was just knocked out due to a combination of fright, anger, and drowned ambitions. She looked around the room carefully, observing every nook and crevice of the ancient-yet-marvelous building. "My friends, where has the devilish Phantom run off to? Did you all rise to the call of duty and eliminate him, throwing his butt to jail? Oh, I want to squee in delight if that happened! Too bad I missed it," she continued, looking so happy, completely neglecting the fallen Whelps at her feet.

Compa scratched the back of her head (she realized she still had gloves on from the hospital. Cue pain from hair being ripped off). "Um, Miss Nisa, sorry to be the killjoy here, but Mr. Phantom left just a moment ago."

"Wah? Did any of you try and stop him?"

"Nisa, I know you got knocked out, but I'm pretty sure you were there when he said he was a hologram," Noire added lazily.

Nisa committed a facepalm. "Gosh darnit! Why did this Heroine have to be knocked out at such a crucial time? This man was surely dangerous, and yet I slumbered while I could have found where he really was! Damn it all, I shall avenge my name!" Nisa yelled proudly, though in the sense of bitter defeat. Whelps was still being neglected.

"sigh Might as well catch her up on all this," IF said, quickly putting her phone back on her belt. Both her along with Neptune explained everything that occurred during her slumber, from the end of the world broadcast to the mysterious landmass that still was yet to be seen by all except the two candidates. IF was practically reasonable in her explanations, while Neptune was greatly exaggerating everything with onomatopoeia's (did she really have to say that the only way to save the world was by finding those mysterious dragon sphere's? Nah, but it made everything 20% more exciting!). When they were done, Nisa placed a hand on her chin.

"I see, but if what you just said was true, why are you still considering him a threat? He plans on saving the world from mass destruction, after all."

"Right, but if we don't listen to him, then he will supposedly bring the "end" to us earlier. He might be trying to save our lives, but with that type of threat, he's nothing short of a terrorist. Still, until I see this landmass, I still think he's nothing but a phony," Noire replied, feeling her eyelids suddenly get heavy. Where were her guards and soldiers, anyways? Hell, when was Kei getting back? Eh, another problem for later.

"I guess so. This heroine also wants to see proof. He apparated before me at the crime scene, and he did help me, so perhaps he isn't all that bad. Still, might as well be on the cautious side," Nisa confirmed, agreeing to follow the rest out to see this strange, foreign landmass. Seriously, is anyone going to acknowledge Whelps there. I'm starting to think he isn't breathing…

* * *

There it was, in all of its twisted, orange glory.

It was only about a couple of hours since Nepgear and Uni laid eyes on it, but the landmass appeared to be drifting away from Gamindustri (though it could possibly be the lighting). However, it was still easy to make out the dense forests of its coastlines, the strange looking mountains that created its horizon, the heavily-lit area to the east (with another set of mountains separating it from the west side), and the total disturbance of its atmosphere, where the sky appeared to be a diluted orange, heavily contrasting to the grayish sky Lastation was known for. Unlike a few hours ago, people appeared to have finally noticed the foreign land, as citizens and tourists ventured over on building tops and clear patches of land to take idiotic pictures of it, possibly to send to their lovely family and friends. Even some of Lastation's soldiers stood by and looked on in amazement at the newfangled piece of gossip-to-be.

"Wowzers, look at it. It's like twice the size of my landmass!" Neptune cheered, staring at the distinct land with sparkles emitting from her body. Nepgear wouldn't have phrased her opinion like that, but she had to admit that the size of the land and the ambiguity of it was definitely peaking her interests. Uni tried not to look surprised, given that she already saw it, but even she couldn't help but stare, unsure of just how long the land resided there. Let us not forget the humans, who all couldn't believe their eyes for a second (IF, Compa, and 5pb. already knew of its existence, but to actually see it was completely different in terms of reality), and were clearly either scared or excited by the discovery. Noire, however…

"Shit."

Well, that summed up her reaction nicely, albeit not for kids.

IF stretched, never taking her eyes off the cryptic land. "Whelp, there you have it. Whoever this guy is, he wasn't lying about the landmass. I can see why Lady Vert was getting freaked out about this," she said, scratching her cheek as 5pb. stepped up for a closer look. IF was still worried about that gash, but Lyrica was still insisting that it was fine.

"I can't believe it. Wait, Miss Green Heart knew about this, Iffy?" the idol asked. A sharp pang ran through both IF and Compa, for Noire looked at them as though their lives were officially on the line. Neptune was smirking, though, because 5pb. called IF "Iffy." That sentence wasn't important, so moving on.

"Yeah, 'Iffy,' Vert knew about this Landmass?" Noire asked in that creepy "kind" tone that sent everyone up shit's creek without a paddle. Compa started to shake in fright.

"I-I'm sorry! I should have brought it up sooner, but Mr. Phantom was scaring me to death! Please forgive me, Miss Black Heart; please forgive me," Compa begged, lowering herself in a bowing position, hoping mercy would be granted upon her weary soul. IF chuckled to herself.

"Come on, Compa, I highly doubt she's that-" (This is not going to be pretty)

" $#*%! All I wanted to do today was simply finish whatever was needed to be finished, and out of nowhere, a stupid person who clearly has no life invades my Basilicom to tell me some shit message regarding some assholish prediction that the world will end in about three $#*%ing weeks! I'm trying to keep my &#*%ing nation afloat, and now this shit has to occur. Oh my freaking God, and now apparently a Landmass has decided to appear, and suddenly I'm the $#*%ing last one to hear about it! $#*% Vert, and now you're probably going to tell me even Blanc knows about this damn thing, right?"

"Um, well, she was in the video-" (IF knew she was even closer to death now)

"Oh, fan- $#*%ing-tastic. Great sharing this information for me, 'Iffy!" Did you know my nation was once on top, and now, for some stupid, $#*%ing reason, my shares are suddenly gone? Do you know how much freaking work it takes to bring these $#*%ing things up? God, with all this going on, how the hell am I supposed to keep Lastation 'Lastation' when I'm always so $#*%ing busy?"

"Noirey…I think you should calm down," Neptune tried to say, her voice being in the most hesitant state she could ever produce. Even Neptune had trouble calming down her favorite Tsundere.

"Oh, and then there's you three; the $#*%ing lunatic, the goody-two-shoes, and…you, Uni. You know, even if this was inevitable, it would have at least been tolerable if you two haven't intervened, and you didn't ditch work! I'm so $#*%ing tired right now, and seeing you Neptune just made me even more tired, and don't get me started with you, missy! You still are going to regret sneaking out! Oh, and that idol…5pb., right? Yeah, $#*% you and your damn charity bizz! Go tell Vert I am _so_ happy for her assy ways. God, the shares, the murder case, the $#*%ing Landmas that jerk… $#*% $#*% *+^&%&$$%&^$%&^%&*#_ $#&!..."_

Noire ended up passing out in what must have been the third knockout in this fanfiction so far. She laid there on the muddy sidewalk, facedown as cars passed by, many proclaiming how stupid that drunk was, before quickly fleeing after seeing who it was. Everyone stood in complete silence, with feelings of shock, dismay, anger, depression, confusion, and utter worry filling them all. Neptune quickly ran and flipped Noire over, brushing off her mud-covered face. She feared that Noire really damaged something, or that she was probably dead for real, but at the sound of a light snore, she felt sudden relief.

"Well, that was completely weird. Traveled with her as her loyal bodyguard of justice, and she never freaked out like that," Nisa stated, glad that she wasn't really mentioned in that whole spew of hatred and disturbance. She looked about her lovely group, noting that both Compa and Uni were completely frozen, not a single muscle moving between them. The purple-hair girls were consulting the little candidate, while both songwriters came to Compa's aid. _Golly_, Nisa thought, _I do feel weird right now._

Coming up the road was our favorite oracle of Lastation, Miss Kei, who was finished doing…whatever errand an Oracle had to run that didn't require the Goddess in any physical way. She turned the corner when saw the entire crowd gathered around poor Noire. Kei simply sighed. _Leave for just a couple of miniscule hours…_

"Forgive my intrusion on this scene, but what on Gamindustri has occurred to Noire? Has no one responded to her aid?" Kei asked, looking at the sorrowful crowd that was still attempting to help those two unfortunate souls. Neptune turned and faced the Oracle, smiling like a child who performed a petty misdemeanor. "M-Miss Neptune! Forgive my sudden surprise, but when did you arrive to this scene?" Kei asked…surprised. Heck, when she looked around again at the crowd around her, she added, "When did most of you appear here, especially outside the Basilicom while it is still raining? Were you not aware of the weather for today?"

Nisa, being the only one not preoccupied at the moment, chose to answer the Oracle, being that it was still her job to protect Uni from any murderer. Golly, what if Kei felt that Nisa was doing a lackluster job? "Fellow Oracle, Miss Neptune had arrived at some point during my interview with Uni, while the rest appeared later on due to…um, we are outside right now, because this Heroine has spotted a strange Landmass that cruelly distorts the horizon!" Genius, Nisa, Genius!

Kei still showed minimal expression, but when Neptune pointed towards the sky, Kei managed to see the ominous landmass of this part's fame, and indeed had her eyes suddenly grow to absurd levels. "What…on Gamindustri…" she quietly stated in a dull monotone. Oh, if only Noire was awake to hear the disbelief of Kei; she would at least feel somewhat better knowing the impossible was accomplished.

Neptune finally began to regrow her older personality. "Hey, sorry about Noirey here, Kei. We were looking at that awesome-looking landmass over there, and out of nowhere Noirey burst out with so many swears, I think Nep Jr. here is scarred for life!" The CPU said, still acting like a child, even when her best friend was on the ground, tired after basically calling her a mental patient.

Even though the Landmass captivated her thoughts, Kei was reliant in the fact that she will always complete any other tasks before going on to her personal pleasures (if she even had any), meaning she went over to Noire and, somehow, picked her up and carried her over the shoulder. The Oracle turned to the still-partially-frozen Candidate.

"May I at least ask if you have patched up this problem with your older sister?" Kei asked, fully knowing that even though a couple of hours had passed since the last time she saw both of them, she could feel the atmosphere being heavier than a freaking boulder, meaning two tsundere's were still going at it. Truly a bizarre day, truly.

Uni, though frozen, was able to answer her Oracle. "Kei, does it look like it? She just swore at me for like, 5 minutes! She really hates me now, no thanks to Nisa over here or that damn Phantom," she said, feeling slightly ackward that Nepgear was rubbing her shoulders in front of everyone. Kei nodded, knowing the answer was going to be that.

"Hey, how did I instigate-" Nisa tried to say before the next line occurred.

"Wait, what did you say, Uni?" Kei suddenly blurted out just a couple of steps away from the front doors (where were the guards and soldiers?). Uni was frozen again.

"That we didn't stop arguing?"

"No, after that."

"That Nisa is partially to blame for this, along with The Phan…tom…probably shouldn't have said that."

Even with Nisa protesting in the background, everyone that stood outside that Basilicom that day felt their hearts suddenly stop for just a second. Kei's eyes were almost the size of baseballs, and even her body shook in fright. It seemed weird that they were afraid to mention something that needed to be mentioned to a high-class individual, but after seeing the violent outburst that Noire gave, what if Kei did the same, but in an even worse manner? Dear god, what has Uni done?

"Did…did you just say 'Phantom?' 'The Phantom?'" Kei stammered for the first time in her life. A heavy, ominous track was playing in the background, and Neptune knew that the plot was certainly going to thicken.

5pb. suddenly took home plate. "T-that's right, M-Miss Kei. A man known as The Phantom a-appeared here at the Basilicom. He's the reason why me, Compa, and Iffy are here right now."

"Yeah, he somehow summoned us and gave 5pb. here a gash. Damn, rotten bastard," IF suddenly said. Nisa soon found the opportunity to speak up.

"Yeah, that's right! Miss Oracle, surely you remember me questioning you about a strange figure on the TV during 5pb.'s live performance, correct? I was apparently describing The Phantom without knowing it! He might be a terrorist, but he knows that the world will end in three weeks, and it seems he is the only one who could stop it, and…" Nisa went on to explain the entire scene once more for the benefit of the plot.

By this point, Kei was breathing heavily and erratically, sweat pouring from every point in her body. Her muscles were growing lax and tired, making the holding of Noire almost close to impossible. No, this cannot possibly be occurring. He must be dead by now; the last oracle stated that he should be well into his 80's. How could he…no, not now! Kei was starting to become broken both physically and mentally, causing Uni to raise concern.

"Kei…this Phantom guy said that we should talk to the Oracles about him…do you know him, by any chance?" Uni asked, finally being relieved of her shock and terror (she also shooed Nepgear away, hoping to not give any reader the wrong impression with that massage). Kei's eyes started to waver.

She knew that, if this event occurred, where The Phantom was to return to Gamindustri, she was to immediately call for an emergency meeting for every nation, one that only could be visited by the people affected by the strange man. Dear Polygonal Gods, why did this event have to occur during her Oracle days. Even the stoic Kei couldn't help but feel horror at the sight or even brief mention of the ominous Phantom.

Still, she had to do it. Call the emergency meeting, or face being ostracized or possibly death.

"Please hang on for a moment."

Kei immediately vanished into the Basilicom, running through the building (commenting on the fallen Whelps that was still neglected) before placing Noire gently on her bed. Soon, she will have to be awake, if The Phantom case is indeed true. When she returned to the cast, everyone stared at her in puzzlement.

"Neptune and Nepgear, contact Histoire right now! Humans, if you really are going to be involved in this, contact any other soul that happened to help us last year. Tell them to head straight to Planeptune's Basilicom, or face the worst judgement possible!" Kei shouted, steam coming out of her ears with every word uttered.

"Oh yeah, that Phantom-person-thingy said Histy's name specifically. Did they have any-" (oh Neptune, when will you hold your tongue?)

"Now, Neptune! This is an emergency!" Kei shouted. She quickly turned to Uni.

"Uni, I understand you currently have bad blood with your sister, but you must wake her up now. This is an important situation that must be addressed now!"

"But…"

"Go, God dammit!" Kei shouted with fire escaping her lips. Uni was gone in a jiffy, nearly forcing Nepgear down to the ground.

"Goodness, Kei, is it really that serious?" Nepgear asked, picking herself up while Neptune began to dial her cell. Kei nodded violently. What had gotten into her?

"Yes, Nepgear, this is one of the worst situations possible."

G-Goodness, what could he do to us?"

Kei looked down at the floor as though she lost all hope in society. "So much," she began, "so much pain, Nepgear. So much pain."

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 25, para 3:_

_".._.And what were shares in the first place? I know of the classic, economic share, but what are the shares that affect the Goddesses so dearly? Lady Orange Heart even had to deal with them, and especially during the Second Polygonal War, she was growing weaker as the shares fell. How do these things affect an individual so much, and is there something that we mortals have yet to see, yet the Goddesses have known since their return from Celestia in 996 A.D? Dear Pete, Celestia Bless him, came up with the theory that the shares the Goddesses need are some form of modified oxygen, which holds the grouping of beliefs within. The Goddesses are the only folk that can take in the shares, and thus when they do, they grow powerful. It is strange, indeed; can beliefs really be turned into a physical entity?..."


	9. PART 2: The Oracles Explain Most

_(__**To those that read this story originally. If you didn't, you may ignore this.)**__Dear readers, this chapter has the most changes from the original chapter. I changed it to reflect more on the plot ahead, and to clear some plot holes that arose before. However, some edits, in my opinon, felt star-wars style, so I do not know how successful I was._

_(__**To those that apply)**__I was also removed from the forums, so I will not be there anymore. Sorry. I couldn't hold back the urge of doing illegal stuff. Oh well._

Chapter 11: In Which our major characters figure out the situation that they are in, and head to Planeptune

Still at Lastation Basilicom

12:59 Noon

"Hey, Histy, how's my favorite floaty-fairy-booky being doing today?" Neptune asked so coolly while Nepgear prayed that Kei wouldn't shoot everybody. It was still drizzling, and the crowd of people continued to forever expand to watch the actually pretty-uninteresting landmass, many proclaiming that they have seen something flying from it, though that couldn't be proven. Hey, wait, how does Histoire hold a cell-phone, anyways? Ah, getting ahead of myself there.

On the other line was of course the floaty-fairy-booky being in question. Histoire was a strange creature known as a fairy, though unlike your fairies who grant wishes to hilarious effect, or fully heal you when you find them, or grant you a checkpoint during your travels as a purple-dragon, Histoire served the purpose of…being knowledgeable? She is a fairy that was actually a book that recorded data since the dawn of time, from the great Pongular Explosion to the Great Resurrection in days long past, fully knowing all of the events and people that have been generated throughout time and space. Unfortunately, asking her for any info would require a substantial amount of time of waiting, for it could take her three days for her to figure something out. Still, compared to the other Oracles, she is the most respected, and often is considered a true Goddess on Gamindustri.

She is usually benevolent and kind, but when she heard Neptune's voice on the other line, she, erm, didn't sound so sweet. "Neptune, is that you? Where in the world are you:(?" Histoire asked, sounding of course worried, though still having that tinge of a monotonousness voice. Neptune looked over at the landmass and back at Kei, giving Lastation's oracle a thumbs-up. Kei could only shudder.

"Yep, this is the greatest CPU of Planeptune on the phone, currently residing over at Lastation with all my waifu's. Even Compa's here!" Neptune pronounced with glee, much to the chagrin of IF. Why, during all those moments where hell was being raised was Neptune always so cheerful? She can tolerate it, sure, but sometimes she really just wanted to slap her friend across the neck. Still, perhaps she cherished every minute of it, and it _was _sort of helpful.

"I see. I guess that is okay from a certain perspective. Oh, but there is just one problem, Neptune?…Did I enable any permission for you to leave the Basilicom? Are you aware of the work that still needs to be done_?"

"Wha? I need permission to leave my Basilicom? Ah, that's no fair, like, at all! I'm the CPU, don't I at least get some freedom to do what I want?" Neptune protested, crocodile tears forming at her eyes, hoping that in some strange, twisted, psychological way, Histoire would be able to detect her sorrow and elicit some form of pity. Histoire didn't have that power, and even if she did, she wouldn't be persuaded.

"You would if you at least informed those at Planeptune of your leave. Haneda City's mayor demands an extra supply of soldiers for the monster outbreak, and the answer should be given now. Being that you left without permission, he's planning on defecting to Lowee, and you don't want that, do you?" Histoire said, hissing during those last, few words. A sweatdropapparated onto Neptune's face.

"Hey, Histy, that guy was a perve, anyways. You remember how he kept looking at Nep Jr. during those conferences; such a fat billionaire. Anyways, Nepgear left without permission, so why isn't she being yelled at?"

"Because, Neptune, she does not have the same responsibilities as you. She is still the Candidate, even though she has done far more than you. Forgive me for the insults, for she will be chastised soon, but I feel as though she will be responsible out on her own more than you," Histoire has spoken, with the voices in her head yelling"Ohhhhhhhhhh~ ."

Neptune pouted. "Well, I thought she was the CPU of Planeptune now, no? Didn't the end of the second game tell us that?Histy, I really hate changing canon!"

"But you came back_! Thus, you are still the CPU. Do we really need more exposition right now, Neptune? As of now, please refrain from breaking the fourth wall too many times, okay?" Histoire demanded. Even though Neptune was the highest power in all of Planeptune, if the Oracle demanded something, than the Goddess should probably obey it to be on the safe side; history dictated that a former Goddess did that once, and all hell broke loose. Hey, she ruled over Planeptune for three years, so Histoire is still considered a leader (a rather grand leader at that)!

"B-But y-you…blah blahblahblah!"

"Blah blah, blah blah, blah.0-)."

The conversation was starting to get into the whole tantrum stage of fanfiction conversations. While blah is written in quick succession up there, Histoire was still talking in a normal-albeit-pissed voice, while Neptune broke out into some disturbing anguish, mentioning how she liked soup on top of the 80's Gamidustri (Neptune asked where those characters were, anyways, but Histoire wouldn't say), or how she defeated croc's out on Waterloo sunset during those purple haze-smitten days at Penny Lane. I need scissors…61!

At that point, Kei couldn't take it anymore, seeing as how putting her trust in Neptune to actually hold herself in a serious conversation was extremely stupid on her part. She ran up to the Goddess, sincerely apologizing to her superior, and yanked the phone away. "Hey, Kei, I know your bff's, and that this is _really _important, but me and Histy were kinda in the middle of something," Neptune protested. With a disturbing glare given by Kei, IF, and even 5pb. (though it was for the pain, not for Neptune's naivety), Neptune quickly went silent and only observed from then miraculous, really.

"H-Histoire?"

":-o Kei, is that you? Forgive me if Neptune has caused any problems, for I assure you…are you allright? You seem out of breath,"Histoire asked, alarmed in her greatest glory. Kei's breathing indeed became hastier and far more erratic, with her skin growing as pale as a ghost. Every one of the Oracles were entitled to their own emotions, but if Kei was anything other than neutral or slightly angry, than something was, without a doubt, seriously wrong with this planet. When something is wrong with this planet, certainly something is wrong with this plot.

"Histoire, it is not them. I'm…I wished it_ was_ Neptune or the others causing trouble, but sadly, it is far worse," Kei said, literally sounding like a child caught in a life-or-death situation; Morbid, yes, but ultimately descriptive in this context.

"Oh dear, is it the shares? Have they plummeted farther down?"

"N-No, it's not that, either."

"Then what could it be that could make you sound so hurt? I'm worried Kei ):, but please, tell me this instant!" Histoire yelled, her voice actually sounding as though it had some form of emotion coming from it. Kei had that funky shadow appear over her eyes, her mouth twitching and her hands getting clammy by the second. Inaudible groans were being produced from her, and for about a minute, Histoire wondered if she lost the connection.

"Miss Kei? Gee, you sure look frightened; breathing exercises…in…and out…" Doctor Compa had issued, mimicking breathing hardly rather well and seemingly plausible. Sadly, either Kei ignored the doctor, or Compa was simply not good at persuading people to listen to her. Most likely the latter, though I digress.

"Miss Compa, I don't think you're…" 5pb. started to say, before wincing in pain. IF quickly ran to her and asked if she was all right, with Lyrica of course saying that she was. Kei, in reality, was unaware of the events that were going on around her, to the point that she felt as though she was all alone on a secluded land, never to be seen by humanity for quite the longest time (The Phantom called. He wanted his plot back). Could she really tell Histoire what she had heard from the rest? It would break that little book's heart to hear such heinous news, but being that The Phantom is no less a terrorist-style threat, it had to be told before it was all too late.

"Kei, are you there?" Histoire begged into the phone.

Kei was about to hate what she was about to say, but she had to. If The Phantom was really here, then they were all wasting valuable time. God knows what he was capable of, but if a whole, ancient landmass just suddenly appears with him, nothing good could occur.

"C-C-Code n-number…" Kei began to say. While the other characters around her had absolutely no idea why the hell she was saying that, Histoire knew almost immediately. No, she didn't know it was The Phantom as of yet, but she knew one key thing: if an Oracle ever, _ever _starts a sentence with "code number," that means the absolute worst has occurred. Once Kei said this, Histoire quickly changed from concerned to generally nervous and disturbed. Kei, unfortunately for both Oracles, continued.

"C-Code number…168-114-201-513," Kei stuttered, almost on the verge of tears. To the rest of the cast, all she said was just a random assortment of numbers that generally gave no meaning, but to Histoire, that was single-handedly the _worst _code she ever heard (besides the message dealing with the Goddesses being captured all that time ago, or, you know, one that dealt with _the end of the current world_). Histoire's jaw fell straight to the floor, her eyes nothing but the whites. Her breathing now matched Kei's, and for a moment there, it appeared as though both Oracles were close to death. Pretty soon both Noire and Uni returned outside, along with a _very _confused Whelps, all to see Kei ready to implode from grief and total shock.

"Wh-what's going on Kei? Why the hell was I-"

For the first time in literally four years, Kei held out a finger to signify to the freaking Goddess that she needed total silence. Noire generally would have felt offended, but because she saw everyone else in total shock, she decided to hold her grievances to herself.

"K-Kei, you cannot… oh dear, please tell the punch line now 8-(! I-it just can't be…" Histoire said in complete bewilderment. Kei shook her head, her hair started to lose its form, much to the shock of the CPU.

_Just stay out of it Noire; this is Kei's problem, not yours! _was what the CPU was thinking constantly."I wish I could lie, but…what do we do? They said he gave us one week."

"O-One week?0_0 Oh no…Goodness, no. Please, this can't be-"

"Dammit, Histoire, it's real! The Phantom was here, and if we have but one week to do what he wants, we need to hold a meeting now! What the hell am I supposed to do?" Kei shouted, her face suddenly growing red with complete anger. The rest backed away, seeing as how Kei appeared to become a bomb to the world. Noire has known this woman since, well, Kei was simply a child, but not once has Kei ever exploded in deep anger like this. Not even towards her mother, and her mother was a hard-ass.

5pb. looked over at IF. "Is The Phantom that bad? He just seemed a little crazy, but he didn't seem like a horrible person," the idol said. IF turned to her, showing a face filled with terror at the events transpiring in front of her. It shocked 5pb., but she was happy to know that IF cooled down when she looked at her.

"I don't know, but this guy did threaten to freaking kill us. I can't say I truly believe him, but if something like him could make Kei look like a decent human being for once, I guess he's seriously trouble. I don't know, 5," IF stated, still looking at that horrific gash on Lyrica'sface. "Compa, please put something to cover that up. You always have a thousand bandages, right?"

Compa turned to them surprised. "Y-Yes I do! I'm so sorry for ignoring you, Miss 5pb. Hold still, though, I still have to disinfect it!" the Doctor stated. 5pb. winced at the thought of some foreign chemicals entering the muscles of her face, but looking at IF, who serious looked scared for her, she decided that it was for the best.

Uni ran up to Nepgear. "What's been going on? What's wrong with Kei? Never seen her look like that before," the Candidate said in disbelief. Nepgear shrugged.

"Goodness, Uni, I wish I knew. She's really afraid of The Phantom. I think even Histoire's scared," Nepgear replied. Uni's eyes grew wider than ever before.

"E-Even Histoire? Uh oh…"

To keep going with this motif of checking up on everyone, Whelps walked over to Nisa. "Nis, did anyone even bother to wake me up besides the Candidate?"

"Nisa looked at her partner."Sorry about that, Whelps. I would have if this whole mess wasn't growing even messier. Apparently these Oracles do know something about this guy, so now we know that Mr. Evilpants is completely legit," The Heroine of Justice told him. Whelps made that face again, prompting Nisa to suddenly recall the whole murder case. "Whelps, do you think that this Phantom guy has anything to do with, you know, the murders?"

Again with the face. "You know, Nis, I wish I could accuse him of at least knowing about them, but I have a feeling that I'm not going to get anything out of it. If your angry, hard-to-understand rant was completely true, then he knows something about it," Whelps said with complete hesitance. Nisa shrugged in response.

"I hope there is something to get from it. We really need some leads on this damn thing!"

Kei was finally ending the conversation, still shocked but was finally beginning to cool down. "Yes, _everyone _involved. Yes, that heroine of something has told me that. Stop chuckling, dammit! All right…I understand. They will be notified now…We will call for one, thank you, and remember to get _all_ the Oracles stat. Okay, I will see you soon."

With that, Neptune's phone was closed, and Kei turned to the crowd, her face still frozen in fright, but her breathing returned to its normal state. Neptune was jumping up and down, anxious to hear the news. "Spit it out, Kei, what did Histy say? Who is that diabolic man who made me wince and almost pee my pants, hm? No one disrespects a Goddess like that!" Neptune questioned and chanted, smirking mischievously, though that same expression vanished when a fist banged down upon her head.

"And no one says 'spit it out' to an Oracle!" Noire yelled, still completely tired and exhausted, but hey, 5 minutes is better than nothing! Watching Neptune hilariously rub her head, Noire turned her attention to her fellow boyish Oracle. "Kei, what in the blazes is going on? What was that all about?" she asked, pushing away Uni (who was only trying to explain whatever she missed, for we all know that this fanfic needs more explaining. Take that, plot narrative!)

Kei gulped, appearing to be regaining her bearings. "I'll explain on the way out. Listen, all of you, we need to move over to Planeptune'sBasilicom. We will discuss everything that needs to be talked about there. Histoire and hopefully the other Oracles will be there to meet us," she stated coolly. She looked over at everyone and quickly sighed. "Bring whatever you need now; swords, guns, gigantic syringes, anything. You will be able to stock up over at Planeptune later, but right now we need you all to get prepared diligently and with haste. The Polygonal Gods are hopefully looking down upon us, or else, dare I say it, we're _fucked_."

Everyone was taken aback by that. "Kei, since when did you swear?" Noire asked with disgust. It wasn't normal for Kei to pretty much do anything, but hearing her swear sent shivers down everybody's spine, and swearing over something so disturbing just made it all somehow worse. Noire placed a hand over her head. "Okay, why are we going to Planeptune, anyways? Can't we just hold the meeting here? It's much more convenient, in my opinion."

Kei shook her head. "We cannot during a Code number 168-114-201-513. Histoire was the one who made that code, and it specifically states that all that are called are to be reported to Planeptune'sBasilicom, no exceptions. It was not I who made the rules, just to be clear, Lady Black Histoire a long time ago."

Compa nodded, but still had concern written all over her face, and it was not just from 5pb.'s freakish gash. "W-Why do we need supplies? What's going on, Miss Kei?" the alarmed Doctor asked. Kei began to walk back into the Basilicom, with strangely everyone else following by instinct, a dark breeze blowing through the party and throughout the world that most certainly was not prepared for any of this.

"The Phantom clearly stated that you were needed on his landmass in almost one week, correct? While he might show some trust in the fact that he wants the world to live on in harmony, it is unwise to go there empty-handed. We, sadly, have no idea what to expect," Kei said solemnly without looking back at the crowd behind her. Everyone else simply shrugged, walking back into the Basilicom in response. Pretty soon, all the girls went out to those strange stores in Lastation that actually sell minors weapons, and even to those that aren't minors, which is still odd, given Lastation's recent policy on family-friendly environments. There was plenty of store-bought swords, ammo, massive syringes, electric guitars, and even a niche pistol for Nisa (while she had a LSPD-offered pistol, Whelps wanted her to carry a spare one as well, just in case). It was only just one day, and already the party was stocking up as though ASIC never even fell.

It was disheartening, yes, but it was surely not as bad as it will soon become over at Planeptune.

Chapter 12: In Which the Oracles give the information that will surely cause nightmares to many

Finally at a different plac-I mean, Planeptune'sBasilicom

Roughly 9:00 PM-ish (or so. I don't understand their time-zones)

Unlike the turmoil-stricken lands of Lowee and Leanbox, or the battered lands of Lastation, Planeptune was simply enjoying a peaceful night, with the city shining in the greatest purple color a person could ever imagine. The buildings all stroked the sky like a cat clawing at its owner (I guess), with brilliant electric lights illuminating the streets below, far different than the industrial lights of Lastation, or the standard ones of Leanbox, or even the natural lighting of Lowee fame. The grand tower of Planeptune, the one that pierces the heavens, stood proud against the horizon, with the Basilicom resting just below. Some say that the mighty tower is actually a dragon lying dormant, but not even Histoire can confirm that rumor's accuracy. Perhaps a robot, but that would just be silly.

While the above paragraph rang true to the rest of the nation, for the denizens of the Basilicom, an all-new hell was being discovered, and between you and I, it was certainly not looking at all moe like the Game Developers hoped for. Can it ever be a dark plot in HyperdimensionNeptunia? According to the Fanfictioncategory, there is probably a few, so…I guess not.

When the group officially arrived at the Basilicom, they met an extremely stressed Histoire and extremely vexed Oracles from the various Landmasses, surrounding a rather nifty-looking table filled with papers of unknown purpose. Chika Hakozaki (Leanbox Oracle) was pacing back-and-forth, a puff cheek extending from her face, steam pouring out of her. Both of the Nep's were rather surprised at how different Chika looked, now wearing a rather gorgeous black dress that wasn't that risque (another effect of the "Summer of Love" thing going on), though her hair was still roughly the same. Mina Nishizawa was still that High-Class Graduate-looking Oracle of Lowee, adjusting her glasses every now and then with a hint of fright in her to Chika, she changed less, but still had her differences: she, strangely, wore more of a lab-coat rather than a robe, and, unlike Chika, cut her hair to that of a bobcut (oh, not for fashion or anything, but for the fact that Rom accidentally tripped and poured paint on her wonderful hair, causing the cuttage. Rom never lived that one down). Histoire, as usual, remained the same.

"Lady Histoire, sorry to intervene, but Kei Jinguji, the Black Hearts, Our Goddesses, and some random humans including Compa have arrived for the meeting," a random bob said proudly without a hint of emotion. Giving a salute to the Oracle, he left the fanfiction never to be seen again. Histoire looked up and found relief, breathing deeply as she somehow floated up to Lastation's Oracle, looking around the boyish-woman at all who showed (she gave a rather disturbing glare to Neptune, who lifted her hands up, chuckling softly). A sad expression painted her face.

"I'm glad you were able to show, Kei. I was starting to get worried that the transits were going bad again. Is…this everyone?" the book asked, floating slightly to the left and slightly to the right, noting familiar faces, though even a freaking history book forgot some important people over time, which sincerely bugs me. Kei saw Chika's eyebrows twitching, so in order to get that off her conscious, she replied:

"Everyone that appeared at the Basilicom in Lastation is present now. However, others that journeyed with them are unfortunately MIA. Did you have any luck in finding them?" Kei asked, sounding so resourceful and dignified compared to just less than twelve hours ago. Histoire shook her head and sighed, turning back to the other Ora"Unfortunately, no. We are aware that Lady Falcom is present in Erethisan City, but she was unavailable at the moment-"

"And don't forget, you pesky book, Cave is off doing…whatever Cave tends to do on a daily basis," Chika butted in, waving a hand through her lime hair, attempting to look like the most sophisticated woman you could ever see (she wasn't doing a bad job at it, actually). Histoire sent her a painful stare, shutting Chika up and throwing her in the corner.

Surprisingly, Kei produced a puff cheek. "Unfortunate, but we'll have to make due. We will have to inform as soon as humanely possible," Kei said, before looking around the room once more. "Lady White Heart and Lady Green Heart are also missing?"

It was time for Mina to get a speaking role. "I'm truthfully sorry, Miss Kei, but we are experiencing many difficulties in Lowee. Blanc decided to stay behind, and I'll inform her of any new information. I believe Vert has also entrusted Chika with a similar responsibility. (_Chika nodded in the background_) Please, is this alarm really genuine?" the Lowee Oracle asked, acting calm, but showing a bit of sadness in her voice. IF and Compa remembered that message from Leanbox; was that zombie threat seriously serious? Kei could only nod.

"Apparently Lady Noire and Uni, along with your own Goddess and Candidate, Histoire, were there as witnesses to his appearance, along with these other individuals, whom at least three of them were teleported to the room, indicating that The Phantom surely was there. He is the only man alive that built such a contraption, correct, Histoire?" Kei asked, standing now in a pose like an army general would. Histoire nodded her head nervously, and Kei walked over to the table. "If that's the case, then we are in trouble if we do not act. He gave them a week to head to that Landmass out in the horizon, so we must make haste."

"Hold it," Chika interrupted, leaving her corner of the room, "how can we even be sure of that? You can't possibly tell me that this 'Phantom-dood' or something would just give them a message and run away. Histoire, you called me sounding so sick and hoarse, and yet this guy doesn't even have the balls to just go to war with us?" Chika was always strange when it came to evildoers; she always felt that if a person were a villain, then they would simply attack by surprise and violently at that, meaning war, like how ASIC did it. Since The Phantom just gave a message, in Chika's book, he would earn the honorary title of "First-Class Dick."

"Miss Chika, you can't just say that. I was around when The Phantom was, and he was only a minimal threat back then, but for what we know, he does things a lot differently," Mina stated, once more adjusting her glasses. "I can't just ignore this person when I have children to protect at home. If Histoire and Kei feel terrible and ill about this man, then we should be prepared for anything. Who knows if he'll recreate everything he did back then."

Histoire nodded. "I understand that you weren't an Oracle during the time of his existence, Chika, and that goes for you too, Kei, but please believe me when I say that he is possibly a bigger threat then ASIC from a year ago. I always feared that this day would come, and now that it did, with him and a foreign landmass as well, I can safely assume that we should commit action upon it, no matter how harsh it may be," the knowledgeable book remarked, looking over at some papers she pulled out, papers filled with ancient info from many decades ago. She just stared at each one, looking them all over from top to bottom, always being lost for a couple of seconds on each picture that showed what everyone else presumed was the man himself. It was hard to understand, given that the language was only understandable by her.

Chika opened the blinds just a little bit and looked out, seeing that the landmass from here was nothing but a small blot in the background. "Well, if he has to be a threat, why did it have to be a friken' landmass? Jeez, couldn't he have appeared during, oh, I don't know, a time when Lowee and Leanbox, but most importantly Leanbox, were_not_under the attack of zombies?" the Oracle cried out, taking a seat once more in the corner of the room. Being that no one bothered to mention the zombies before, everyone besides the Oracles froze in fear. Whelps and Nisa looked at one another, teeth chattering between the two. So, zombies were around in Leanbox, and hell, even Lowee? Should they mention the zombie back in Lastation? Was that _even _a zombie back in Lastation?"No" was the answer that Nisa repeated in her head.

_Keep it quiet, for now._

"Goodness, z-zombies? H-how did that happen?" Nepgear suddenly said. Chika raised a hand to the air, smirking coldly at the CPU Candidate. Needless to say, it made Nepgear'sposition quite shaky.

"Don't know, but right now I really need to get back to my nation, so this whole buzz about The Phantom is really pissing me off," Chika stammered, looking like she was about to get angry, and you would not like her when she's angry. Noire scoffed to herself.

"Tough shit. I'm still dealing with a damn share shortage, and you don't see me complaining," Noire said cool and collected. Seeing the enraged expression on Chika's face made Noire laugh, and she ended up saying: "Hey, I would love to go back and not risk losing my nation because my brat of a sister chose to leave without telling me beforehand, but hey, I rather have a world to go back to."

As Uni began to tear up again (hey, everyone, Nepgear's hugging Fanfiction's least favorite character! Cue possible squee's), Chika stood up, face completely red. "How dare you say that to me, you F-"

"Forget it! Stop it, both of you! We have more pressing matters to address!" Histoire and Mina snapped in unison (it was mostly Histoire, but still). Noire was of course still chuckling, but she at least knew her limits, and proceeded to remain quiet (while Neptune didn't like catfights that weren't physical, she still patted Noire on the shoulder for at least trying to instigate one, though Noire had no idea she thought like that). Chika was still mumbling to herself, turning her back to the crowd, remaining silent for the rest of the chapter.

"I'm so sorry for her attitude, everyone. Chika and I have been going through a lot of stress with all this zombie news," Mina said apologetically. Knowing that you just couldn't stay mad at a face like that, IF did a slight wave.

"Eh, can't blame you. I guess it's never easy when it comes to zombies," IF shrugged, walking over to the table, sitting on the very edge (Histoire would have normally protested, but being that it was IF, she didn't mind. IF never did anything wrong, unlike Neptune…) to view everyone. "Listen, sorry to ask, but just who is this freak, anyways? How did he teleport us, how was he just a hologram, and most importantly, how in the world does he know you? Since when were NPC's important?" The brunette asked, quickly flipping one of her phones, seeing if there was any new e-mail. Strange priorities, IF, but that just appears to be her. 5pb. Liked that in her.

"Iffy's right, Histy. Before I go Lee on his grimy butt, I want to know the entire jist, including his age, if he's actually a guy, what flavor of pie he loves, etcetera, etcetera," Neptune asked, raising that finger up to her neck. Histoire looked over at everyone else, who all seemed to nod in agreement, all wanting to know who this man was. The only things they knew were that The Phantom didn't look human, could make stupid machines that hurt 5pb.'s delicate head, and that overall he was a simplistic, sophisticated Jerkass.

Mina, once more, adjusted her glasses, though this time it was for dramatic effect. "I believe it is only fair, Histoire. Even I'm lost with this man. What exactly are we dealing with?" the educated Oracle asked. Chika still refused to speak throughout the rest of the chapter, but she did at least nod, still staring all pissy at Noire. Like Histy stated before, Chika and Kei were not in the position of Oracles at the time (Leanbox and Lastation didn't even exist at the time), possibly not even five years old (Kei, maybe older, but not Chika), still during the time when they were allowed to age (fun fact: once you are appointed Oracle, you are granted the same lifespan as a Goddess. That's why they appoint young people). Histoire sighed, knowing that they might as well know what the hell is going on.

"Very well," Histoire began, "If I must, I must. I'm sorry if I'll sound scared; recalling his life sends shivers down my spine. I'll try to make this as brief as possible."

"I guess I need to sit down. Knowing this author, we could be here for a page-and-a-half," Compa stated. Neptune gave the Doctor a thumbs-up for breaking the forth wall, though Compa didn't know that reason, making her pleasantly confused. Once everyone surrounded the book in the most uncomfortable way imaginable, Histoire began to recount whatever she knew about the man in this heavily expositional part of the chapter.

* * *

"I'm terribly sorry that I cannot even begin to describe everything about this devilish man, but I'll at least tell you everything that I have possibly recorded. It has been a long time since I last saw him in any form, but I still remember the horrible fear that I felt whenever the events he had committed came up.

"The Phantom was never even "The Phantom" for the majority of his life, and though you saw him with that monikor, it was definitely just a cursed title, and not his actual name. When I first encountered the man, way back in the late 40's, he was simply a male Maker, dressed in the fashion of the day, which consisted of a fine, blue suit and a blue fedora, and though I never saw his actual hair, he did not have facial hair of any sort, and judging by the fact that he was fair-skinned, I presume he held black hair. He was around his late 20's or early 30's, and he had a pretty loud voice, as though he never learned to whisper. From what I can recall, he was the runner of one of the most successful medical corporations at the time; I cannot remember the name, but it had "Enterprises" in it, as many companies had back then.

I remembered how his corporation essentially cured all of Gamindustri. During that whole decade, we had outbreaks of smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, horse-bird flu, and even melanoma somehow, yet no matter how deadly these diseases got, he healed them all. Before the tragic incident I will describe to you momentarily, at least 92% of Gamindustri was cured, and there were even months where not a single soul across any landmass had a disease of any sort. It is this reason that, even though he is now remembered as a horrible person, Doctors and Medics still view him as one of the greatest minds of the era. Compa, I do believe that the lessons you learned during your time in medical school were all based off of his work. It is eerie, yes?

"Now, since I met him during the late 40's, you must realize that this was a different time. As many of you already know, but others that may just be listening onto us illegally (_she looks around angrily, and occasionally glares towards us. How on Gamindustri does she know that we are…ah, who cares anymore…_), Gamindustri in the 1940's was a time of great development, with our personal wealth growing tenfold. However, we were still dealing with the effects of the Second Polygonal War, and the resulting economic and share depressions that defined the 1930's. You remember that, Mina ? It was so awful! Anywho, before your family took over the area of Lastation, Noire, we had InochBenio Mater, and before Lady Green Heart lead the impressive Coup d'état in 1965, Leanbox was the Pippion Alliance, which held three different nations unified under one government. The country of Lowee at the time was named Supendo, though Blanc will change that in 1950. I remember her being so shy, and yet so angry, for those decades after the war. Her family caused that deadly war to break out, and though she had no part in it, everyone always blamed her from there on out. It saddens me to think she may still be traumatized. I still thank you for your heroic deeds back then, Mina.

"Oh my, how I have digressed! Where was I? Yes, the different nations. You see, that landmass out there on the waters was once a part of Gamindustri. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say that the landmass out there was the birth of our great civilization. When the Gods and Goddesses came back to Gamindustri at the turn of the millennium, the Orange Heart Legacy took this landmass, and called it Lan16, which I'm sure The Phantom referred to it as such, even though Lady Orange Heart has been dead for so long. It was the biggest landmass Gamindustri had, and it was located in the south; you know how Leanbox is mostly separated from the mainland, only connected by loose strands of land and artificial bridges? Lan16 was the landmass that connected it to the rest of Gamindustri. You can actually see the border on the western half of Leanbox.

"Anywho, The Phantom originated there as nothing but a salesman, and it was only by chance that he was discovered by Lady Orange Heart, when he was accused of selling drugs on the street, or something like that. I'm not so sure of their relationship, but after that encounter, it was clear that they held some sort of intimate bond, though I cannot see it being more than just friends, or at least a one-sided affair. What I'm trying to say is that it was clear that he was infatuated with her, and that may be what lead him to his destructive ways.

"I first met him during a cold day in the fall, when I was touring in Lan16 due to a meeting with Lan16's Oracle, who I neglect to ever remember their name. I remember a cat getting hurt by a car, and since I saw a huge building that had the word "doctor" in it, I brought it there. Mr. Phantom was not a bad man by any means at this point, but when I was there, he would always look at me in such a strange way. It always seemed to be that he was in disbelief that I was actually there, and he would often scowl towards my general direction. I didn't think much of it during that time, but later on, it got violent. It was clear that his love for Lady Orange Heart was getting bad, as he started to get highly nationalistic, and there were even reports that he would reject patients that came from the other nations, which of course was heavily illegal at the time. He soon got his own team with him, each specializing in a certain medical field, and one way or another, they all went crazy like him.

"But the scariest part about him was that he was starting to expand his horizons. He still focused on medicine, but many have said that he had invented hundreds of different things, the ones he made public actually influencing our current culture, such as the first nanochip, a jar that could hold hundreds of items as data, and even the first ever laser sword. It was scary what he was capable of, but that wasn't the worst of it. The worst part about it was what he _didn't _reveal, which could be numbering in the thousands. There have been reports that he made an actual doorway into Celestia, which I highly doubt, and others have stated that he found out how to _revive _the dead, which I wish to not believe. Whatever was going on within his building was completely unknown to Lady Orange Heart, who probably didn't even suspect a thing. I remember though that your mother Neptune, Lady Plutia, who has no relation to that Plutia from the other universe, was growing suspicious of this doctor, and she sent me to investigate."

Histoire stopped for a moment, and opened the tome underneath her. She closed her eyes for a moment, and a tear slid down one of her cheeks. The Oracles and the main Heroines were all quite confused by this, as Histoire had never cried, at least to their knowledge. "Please, make sure Plutia is asleep in the other room. I don't want another universal deity looking at this," Histoire commented, motioning towards Neptune. That's right folks, she does exist in this continuity! I guess this is after Victory, eh? Damn, loose nods to canon. Anyways, Neptune was confused as to why this had to be so, but seeing as how Histoire was truly serious and emotional about all this, Neptune didn't question. She saw Plutia, the Goddess of Planeptune from the other dimension, sleeping calmly in her "vacation abode" (god, that's weird). She returned, and once Neptune gave the thumbs up, Histoire continued on with her disturbing tale.

What she showed scared everyone in the room. Amongst the millions of pages within the book, there were at least 100 of them completely scorched, burned away with only minimal amounts of pure paper remaining. The text, already ancient, was now unreadable, a portion of Gamindustri's history forever lost in time and space. "Histy…damn, what…" IF said in complete bewilderment, both at the sight and the strangeness of calling Histoire "Histy." Histoire simply looked down in shame, biting her lip as the pain from that day came soaring back through her nerves.

"W-What happened? Why didn't you ever show me this?" Neptune asked with accurate, genuine concern written all over her face. The others were curious too, something that Histoire felt aggravated about. She would have probably said to mind their own business, but since it was her that brought this topic to the light, she had no choice but to voice everything she remembered.

"The next time I met The Phantom, he, along with his colleagues, were all off the deep end, often cackling uncontrollably or saying some strange things that were just so, _damn _cryptic. He was still a mortal at this point, but for his workers, I couldn't tell. I distinctly remember some strange…_thing _standing with him, though my memory is fuzzy. When I made it to his damn enterprise, he was quickly shocked, and he soon started to berate me, as though I was a terrible monster bent on worldly destruction. He shouted at the top of his lungs as I desperately tried to calm him down. I had two guards with me, and when they saw him freaking out, they quickly grew defensive, which caused The Phantom to…to _fry _them.

"I can still hear their screams. They were burned away, just like that. I have been alive for maybe 25,000 years, and yet I had never experienced death like this. They were literally nothing by the end of it; not even ash. I have no idea how he did it, but now that my only guards were gone, I was left alone with the man. He berated me once more, and started to fire. I remember so much flame spreading about the room, and I did manage to float back out of the building, but just as I got to the front door, one of his shots hit me. I remember the pain I felt, and how I skidded down towards the ground, feeling as though my life was finally done. When I was captured by CFW Trick so long ago, even his torture was nothing compared to this. I was just lucky that it was raining, for if I didn't have nature's help, I would not be here today.

"Unfortunately, the flames destroyed these pages, and I cannot recall what was on them now. It may have been some needless information on the horsebird, or it could have been the only link to early Makers that formed Gamindustri. There's no way to recover this info, and everytime I try to remember, his psychotic face and the burning…_hell _that he fired at me always come back, and the pain often drives me to tears.

"I went back to Planeptune of course, but I had no idea what to do. I could have told Plutia, get him arrested or even executed, and be done with it, but I…I was _scared. _The Phantom was clearly psychotic, but he was also the man that cured us all. Can I really just take him out? Plutia was suspicious, yes, but that was probably too little to bring him down. When I came to her, I only mentioned that I was hit by a torch by accident, and I said that The Phantom was okay. I wish she didn't buy it, and I wish I didn't _say _it. What an idiot I was."

Chika broke her oath of not talking, standing tall as she glared at Histoire. "So it's because of you that we have to deal with this? Yeah, Planeptune, home of the _Wise!_ How the hell can you even place that on your advertisements? If I was there, I would have slapped him silly for even trying to shoot me!" Chika yelled, slamming her fist into the table, shaking IF away from it. Histoire looked even more depressed as she turned herself away, causing Mina to glare over at the Leanbox Oracle.

"Madam Chika, I understand your viewpoint, but you can't blame Histoire, nor can you blame Neptune's mother, if you even think of thinking about it! If I was in that situation, I wouldn't be able to have the courage to take him down!" Mina said, before readjusting her glasses and taking a deep breath. "I believe, out of all of us, _you _and Vert should know how hard it is to take out a politically powerful person. You did end up liberating the south and making Leanbox, but didn't it take nearly three years in order to finally dethrone those three Goddesses? I remember monitoring the battle, and the majority of the population hated Lady Green Heart's guts, before they finally yielded and turn against that blasted Alliance. You did eventually liberate the area, but at the same time had to go through horrible trials that could've cost your life. Histoire had the same problem, and if The Phantom was able to testify and win against Histoire in regards to her injury, Histoire could've been killed right there as well. Our law system was not good back then, and in personal opinion, I think Plutia and Histoire did the only good thing they could do," Mina lectured, adjusting her glasses once more.

Chika crossed her arms, making a grunt as she sat back down, pouting as the tiny tome sighed to herself. "Let me just finish this blasted flashback. I'm sorry if I'm digressing, but I just want you to get a picture of what you are about to deal with, if he does have something up his sleeve. Let me just skip ahead to those dreaded three days in early 1950.

"On a day in May of 1950, one of the hotter springs we had so far, we received horrifying news from Lan16. Apparently, during the night prior, Lady Orange Heart was murdered, the cause of death being a disturbing laser that generated power that rivaled the ones the Goddesses can produce. The person that did this also eliminated the majority of the Lan16 army, who laid a siege against him. I remembered being depressed by the news, for now that she was gone, the Orange Heart Clan, a family that has been going on for a thousand years, had finally ended. Just like that. They were our enemy in the pass, but at that time, we were improving our relationship.

"It might have been only a few hours before the nations discovered that The Phantom did this, as was expected by me. Plutia, along with the other Goddesses, made a surprising meeting together, something I had not seen since…actually, I don't believe they were ever together in the same room at once. Technically, Lady White Heart was not there, as she sent a loyal Godly Warrior in her place, probably due to fearing rejection, but she was still there in spirit. Anyways, they all decide to override their apparent differences, and send all of their forced down to Lan16, in order to kill off that horrible man. Only Plutia and I knew for a fact it was just The Phantom, but the others felt that he somehow got a huge army in advance. In an hour, we suddenly disembarked.

"I was not there when they engaged The Phantom, but from what I recall, he still managed to eliminate nearly 1,000 lives, and he dangerously injured Lady Grey Heart of InochBenio Mater, but they eventually ended up killing him. I think it was Plutia herself that changed his original name to The Phantom, but I'm not sure. Still, that event was so dark and horrible, and we were not sure as to what to do with Lan16, and I feared that a mighty war will soon break out between the nations. Luckily, we didn't go down that route."

5pb. Suddenly grew shocked, as indicated by her eyes somehow becoming wavelengths (is it genetic, or something?). "They k-killed him? Then…then how…?"

Histoire nodded, trying to desperately get everyone's eyes off the scorched pages. "You must remember that The Phantom suddenly invented many inventions during his short time in the spotlight. One of those was that belief that he created _something _that could revive someone. I said that I wished to not believe, but fate loves to do that to me. To this day, I still have no idea how a mortal like him was able to revive, but the results were, undoubtedly disturbing.

"After we ended The Phantom, we sent various relief forces throughout Lan16, investigating everything, from his Enterprise building all the way to the destroyed Basilicom, to see if this was a planned attack or an accident. One of the things we found was this strange bookcase, with at least 30,000 of the same book being on it; it was a long room, mind you. The book was called _Neptunian Theory:The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution_, I'm assuming named after Greggarious P. Neptunian, a man that, for now, I refuse to speak about. Thank you for understanding.

"Anyways, we believed that the book detailed some sort of plan in regards to this horrific event, but so far no one has succeeded in finding the plan. We managed to get most of the books out, but by the time we got more than 2/3 of them out, the most horrifying thing occurred. I was with them at the time while we were searching, and on the third day, we heard a horrible noise.

"We saw a strange being, looking almost like a scarecrow, standing tall near the border between Lan16 and Planeptune. He was limp, and his body was definitely robotic primarily. I'm assuming that The Phantom you have seen was this being. Now, of course we did not believe that it was him at first, but once we heard him speak, through a method I still don't recall, we knew it too clearly. It was probably just illegal to fire at him immediately, but many of the soldiers grew scared, and just fired in an instant. I don't know, however, how The Phantom dodged it all, as it was like he was what he was called, somehow blurring the line between reality and just plain wackiness.

"He killed 20 more soldiers, before he unleashed something quite disturbing on us. A mighty burning wind blew from the HuCard Mountains, blowing all of us off the line between Lan16 and Planeptune, bringing us back onto our homeland. As we recovered, The Phantom let out an impressive yell, and suddenly shot his hand up. A mighty green beam shot up, and all of us were gasping in horror as the laser hit the atmosphere, spreading about the clouds, forming what I presumed to be a shield. It a matter of a few seconds, this green blast encompassed the entire Lan16 Landmass, and as we tried to break through it, he only laughed, which scared me the most, for no matter how much emotion he gave, his robotic face never showed anything but a smile.

"Soon, another yell came from him, and one of the deadliest landmass quakes hit us. Lady Green Heart may have it on record that it cost the lives of nearly a million around the then-Pippion Alliance shoreline. A mighty light broke our vision, and a loud hum emanated throughout the world. And then, all of a sudden, it all just stopped. Next thing we knew, Lan16 was just the ocean, waves crashing everywhere as the plate was displaced. Somehow, in some strange, cosmetic sort of way, The Phantom came back alive as some sort of…_being_, and somehow invented something that made the biggest and most influential landmass on Gamindustri_disappear_.

"For the remaining decades, we just assumed that it either left our world, or the invention actually just destroyed everything, causing the landmass to be nothing but air. However, now that the landmass returns, and you're all telling me that he appeared before you, I have a bad feeling about all of this. He says he wants to help, but please understand, this is certainly suspicious. If you are all truly going, I want you all to bring _any _weapon you have. Bring armor, all sorts of supplies, anything that will help you deal with this devil of a former man. I pray that he won't try a single thing, but it still is frightening me."

Histoire took a deep breath, and floated over towards a window, looking out towards the far away landmass, her short stature shivering in fright. Mina came over to her and place a delicate finger on her delicate shoulder. The others were just baffled at all of that.

"Our games are supposed to be cheerful! Histy, he couldn't have actually…you know, _killed _people, right?" Neptune asked in complete bewilderment. She expected that cheerful background music to play, but instead the atmosphere remained heavy. She still tried to remain cheerful, but slowly her body lowered its guard, and she just grew depressed. Oh well, maybe next time.

"That book…you still have it…right, Mina?" Histoire asked, almost as though all semblance of happiness had finally left her. Mina was quiet for a short bit, before nodding slightly. Around this time, Plutia woke up, and accidentally stammered out into the meeting room, mistaking the complex as some sort of strange bathroom, I presume.

"Hm…This place _really _needs a lightswitch," Plutia said in the laziest manner of all. Out of nowhere, Histoire turned to glare at her, making everyone jump in surprise. However, since Plutia was completely tired and about to pass out once more, she remained ignorant of this animosity.

"Lady Plutia, either go back to that universe of yours for just a second, or go back to bed! I don't need you here for this!" Histoire yelled, her voice choking as liquid appeared in her eyes. She was breathing heavily for such a small fairy, but all the rage was finally leaking out of her system. Mina backed away slowly, hoping to get out of this Basilicom alive.

Plutia wasn't even paying attention, and yawned heavily. "Okay…see you in the morning!" Plutia said, completely forgetting the fact that she…actually, I was the one that said she wanted to find the bathroom, so I guess I can't blame her. Ah, let's hear what dear Neptune has to say.

"What'sa matter, Histy? Afraid Plutia will get all Sadie again when she hears your tearjerker of a tale?" Neptune pondered, knowing herself that she was being completely and utterly sarcastic. However, the absolutely no difference between her facial expressions proved that Histoire actually agreed with the CPU of Planeptune. This made Neptune just shrug in confusion.

"_Exactly._ I don't want to deal with that right now. If she freaks out, I…still have no idea how to control her," Histoire said, shuttering at the thought of Iris Heart appearing before her, tempting to…_relieve her pain._ Even I'm shuttering at that thought. She would crush poor Histoire.

Mina, sighing at everything happening, walked over to a bag on the table. Opening the flap, she pulled up one of the biggest books the world has ever seen. It was essentially the length of one's arm, and rose up to the length of a fully extended hand. There had to be millions of pages in it, and one had to wonder what the hell type of plot it could have; hell, one had to wonder if there even _was _a plot to be had. She gently rested it on the table, a rather huge hunk of dust floating off into the air as the bindings rested upon themselves somehow.

"It's right here, Histoire. Why do you request it? Personally, it was really painful to carry it from Lowee to here," Mina commented, once again readjusting her glasses. Histoire slowly turned like a zombie, her eyes somehow returning fewer emotions than her usual countenance. Needless to say, Mina sighed once more. "I'm assuming…you want them to see _that _passage?"

Histoire nodded weakly. "I requested you to bring that book because of him. That passage-no, the whole book, is filled with nonsense, but I have a bad feeling that, whatever he is planning, he will mention _that _specific one," Histoire said, using the stubs she calls her hands to flip the pages of the book with ease. Each flip of the page rose more dust into the air, causing a heavy cloud to form above the room, making some of the characters cough uncontrollably.

"What's the book, anyways? You can't tell me one guy…oh crap, only one guy is credited!" Noire said as she looked at the spine, being able to due to the book not fully opening right. The spine read, in bright, gold colors that were slowly fading, _Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution_, penned by the author _Phantom_ (if you looked closely, one can see that the letter _G _once existed, but it was etched out; no one knows for sure what rested next to that lone letter). It was the very book Histoire mentioned, one of the few that continued to exist. The Phantom, the man that had appeared before them at Lastation's Basilicom, wrote a book that they never even heard of. Only the Oracles have the copies of the book, while other issues that exist are currently roaming around in the Black Market.

"Woah, the book does exist! Histy, did…how did Mr. Phantom do all of this? When did he do this?" Nepgear asked, filled with disbelief that a crazy man like that disturbing gent could write such a massive novel. However, Histoire nodded to her, getting quite amused and angry at all of these questions.

"I don't know when he wrote it, but whatever the answer is, many of the copies that exist are drastically unfinished. However, in the 70's, at least 50 copies washed up in Leanbox, featuring at least 400 more pages, each describing, at least from what I presume, his travels into different dimensions. I…still don't believe he possesses this power, but since he somehow _revived,_ I can't deny its validity. The least update, at least by the notes he scribbled on some of them, state that the last time he wrote was in 1958, almost a full decade since Lan16 was lost. I don't how the books got here, but we quickly took them and hid them. Unfortunately, 13 copies are missing, but we still have the rest.

"But nothing matters besides this. The whole book is just his blasted thoughts, the only part really mattering is this one area. This part describes all the hell that he _thinks _can occur. I'll read it to you, and I'm sorry if it is boring:

'…_And in the course of the darkest days, I have yet to understand when the end will come. However, based upon the theories of which I am currently basing my beliefs on, it is clear that the world that we inhabit will end very soon. In the 4__th__ century, Celestia sent the Greatest Calamity against us, known as the "Great Crash." It wiped out nearly 95% of the world population, and it is a miracle that we survived. It killed the majority of the Gods and Goddesses of the time, and it ushered in a new Maker era, dominated by The Guild by the end of it. This, at least in my beliefs, allowed Gamindustri to survive, and continue on to present day._

_ "However, one must ask how this whole Crash began. Why would Celestia just choose to annihilate the world for no reason? From what I have gathered, Celestia grew fearful of the potential we had, and soon we would be able to access the power to fight them, and conquer all of Celestia with ease. Thus, they unleashed millions of plagues, all leading up to the "Great Crash," where the world just seemed to implode upon itself. I presume that Delphinius, the legendary Warrior of Gamindustri, chose to sacrifice himself or herself, and allowed civilization to continue._

_ "However, we do not have a Delphinius anymore, and our growing, technological world will allow us the power to destroy Celestia. Look at me, a hypocrite in action, traveling to the fabled land in order to study, knowing that if they see me, I would only endanger everyone from my home. From what I have seen, the world is close to the brink of ruin, and the signs are already apparent. While I have yet to receive official word from Celestia, I can already see the beginning of the end. Our own universe gave birth to millions more, and our own abode was born from a different world, one where Gamindustri was merely a group of floating continents. They allowed the Deity of Sin to reach the land, and thus they experienced the "Great Crash."_

_ "And now, we risk our own lives, as the millions of universes we birthed will soon eclipse us, and as I have already possess the power to interact with the heavens, it won't be long before another soul like me accesses the land, and has power to kill the mighty angels. Even then, if someone does not arise, I can already hear the complaints from the angels that the growing world we live in has grown too far, and eventually they will put a stop to us, before we do invade them._

_ "Of course, I do not exist on Gamindustri anymore, but during my leave, I have studied this looming apocalypse. Perhaps, one day, when the destined day of the death arrives, I shall return to Gamindustri, in order to stop this grotesque moment from actually occurring. They will see the new land return, and they will attempt to kill me again. However, if I can persuade them, perhaps then, I shall be able to get them to stop this horrible event. I have yet to get the machine working, but if it does, Celestia will not have the ability to attack us like that ever again. I know it is hypocritical to be fighting against Celestia, when doing just that will screw us over in the end, but it is the only way. I hope my plane will work, and my emotions will not sway me from doing the unthinkable…"_

Histoire finished the passage and took a deep breath. "In case you had no idea what he was saying, he stated that the world we live in will die soon, and since he had returned, that means the end of the world must be happening soon. However, I am not the first to say this, but his ideas are complete, well, bullshit," Histoire stated, floating back over to the window to stare at Lan16, which was really a small dot on the horizon. Neptune looked at the book with curiosity.

Noire placed a finger on her chin. "Well, he _did _mention that the world was ending in, seriously, three weeks. It's not like I'm worried or anything, but it did sound fishy. Still, what if he _is _right?" Noire said, much to the shock of Uni. Neptune gave her a sheepish grin, and placed a hand on the table.

"Wasn't that whole 'Great Crash' thing a myth? I mean, I highly doubt Celestia will go all 'Imma kill you because you smell' on us," Neptune commented, wondering what Histoire would say. Histoire shook her head, a lone tear coming out of her eye.

"Unfortunately, I can't recall what occurred during that period. I believe that The Phantom was responsible for burning off that page of my memory, so I can't recall if he is telling the truth or not. Still, maybe he does want to save the world, but one must remember the line: '…and my emotions will not sway me from doing the unthinkable.' If you say that he called you a whore, I have a feeling that his emotions are overriding his already diluted judgement."

Kei nodded, looking at the book carefully. "He is either genuine, or using his previous prediction to make us believe in him, and then we send you to your unfortunate grave. This is truly a pressing moment for us," Kei said, folding her arms against her chest, breathing hard. "I hate to say it, Histoire, but as much as I hate this man, and as much as I do not believe in his words at all, we may have to do what he says. If he does know how to stop this end of the world, then we have to do whatever he demands."

Histoire hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "I wish I could say that Celestia would never do such a thing, but we haven't had contact with them since 1983. After that, we just pray to them, that's all. They are probably just watching over us, but they may be also plotting our downfall. In which case, The Phantom may just be telling the truth, and he might be the only one that can protect us."

IF shook her head. "So we're just going to go over there, and that means just _us _from the days of ASIC-fighting, and hope he can use us to save the world, just because he _might _have made a prediction? I'm sorry, but I'm not liking this one bit."

Compa was just confused by all of the conversations she was not really involved in. "Iffy, I agree, but who knows. Mr. Phantom seems like a bad guy, but maybe he became a goody two-shoe when he wasn't here. Maybe he really does want to help us. I mean…it's either listening to him, or dying a horrible…oh my, that does sound awful!" Compa said as she bent down to the floor, her hands covering her ears. IF and Neptune attempted to comfort her as Histoire floated above them.

"Compa is right. I feel like I am repeating myself, but we have nothing else to base our beliefs on."

Neptune nodded as she patted Compa's back. "So, what you are saying is that he may be either the greatest person alive, or the most dangerous MOFO, right?" she commented. Histoire was feeling sympathy for the readers, who will have to continue hearing this constant padding. Nisa just stood in the background, watching as the scene unfolded. She wanted to comment, but she kept her mouth shut. Whelps would've joined in, but he, too, felt isolated in this barrage of conversations.

"Yes, he is _very_ dangerous. I do not enjoy listening to such a mad man, but if he is promising to save the world, then what else can we do?" Histoire asked, shaking after having to remember all of the things he had done. Kei walked over to the floating book and patted her on the head; that usually calms her down for some bizarre reason.

This was the opening Nisa was waiting for. "Two points to make; one: why does he need just us Heroines who fought against ASIC, and two: do you think that _he _brought those horrific crimes against humanity known as zombies to the land? I mean, if that's the case, we may have a lead, Whelps," Nisa said, pittering off at the end as she spoke personally with her partner in crime fighting. Whelps made a slight shrug, still not speaking in this chapter.

Mina nodded. "Now that you mention it, I had a feeling. I think he caused some sort of zombie outbreak in the past, though it was contained, unlike this. That rotten devil," Mina said, looking down at the floor, trying not to let anyone see her get royally pissed. After taking a full minute to calm down, she later added: "I will send Blanc to Lan16 if I have to, but I don't want either Ram or Rom affiliated with this debacle. They've seen enough with ASIC."

Histoire felt horrible over what she was about to say. "I completely understand your concern, but he has demanded all of them to appear before him, and that includes the two young ones. If he didn't want them all, I will easily comply with you, but for now, we will send protection for all of them in case things go wrong. That is all I can say," the book stated. Mina looked depressed, looking out the window, knowing that there was no way she could get them out of it. She just prayed that no harm will be granted to them.

"We have to be careful with that alchemist as well. What was her name-"

"Gust. It was Gust," Nisa loudly shouted, before cowering back in the corner. Whelps made the expression to ask what was wrong, but Nisa wouldn't answer. Too many bad memories, man, too many bad memories…

"Y-Yes, Gust. She too is a young one, at least I think she is. However, I am more concerned over sending all of the Goddesses to one location. I fear that if The Phantom is leading them into a trap, they will become captured just like that three year period, and we really do not need that right now, especially with share shortages and zombies going around," Kei continued. Neptune and Noire surprisingly took great offense.

"Hey, that was a _looooooooong_ time ago, when we were barely stronger than a fly! Now that we are level 999 –possibly, along with being equipped with the most powerful of loot, that freak won't be able to touch us!" Neptune stated proudly, with Noire nodding, knowing that she would actually say the same thing, albeit more professionally. Kei shrugged.

"If you say so, but we are still sending in protection. Right now, we have to contact the rest of your party. Do you believe that he would want us Oracles to show as well?" Kei asked, holding a clip-board with thousands of documents Uni and Noire will never understand. Histoire shook her head.

"While we were a part of the destruction of ASIC, I highly doubt he would want us to be there. You said that this group should ask the Oracles about him, correct? If we are needed, then we will arrive quickly after they leave, which made me remember that I need to call for a ship. Until then, we will stay behind to protect Gamindustri," Histoire explained, with the rest (including Chika) fully understanding. She turned to the group that will soon risk their lives to either comply, defeat, or (not recommended) die by The Phantom. "The Oracles will start prepping for your journey as well as contacting the others. For now, I want all of you to rest. That is a direct order!"

"Understood, Histy! Tomorrow, we will be the toughest specimens to ever walk this planet. He'll crap his pants if he tries to fight us!" Neptune cheered, before dragging Noire by one hand and Uni (who was holding Nepgear's hand at the moment) to her bedroom, of course being partnered with the protests from the Black Sisters. The humans looked at one another before eventually following, remembering their rooms from when they were Fighting ASIC. The only two who didn't follow (they chose the hallway outside) were Nisa and Whelps.

"Whelps, both of us can't go. One has to stay here and defend justice from that pesky murderer," the heroine of justice said, adjusting one of her gloves she refused to take off. Whelps looked up at the sky.

"Nis, we know that you have to go. If this guy needs everyone from last year, I had no part in that. I'll stay behind and solve this thing," Whelps stated, folding his arms as the purple night-atmosphere filled his brain. Nisa looked at him, shocked.

"Do you think you got this? I don't want to leave Gamindustri while a horrible killer remains on the land!" she stated, angry that this whole ordeal had to occur at the worst, possible time. Now she knew how Chika felt.

Whelps made a brief face before touching Nisa's shoulder. "Relax, kid. This guy won't be around for long. Even if I don't solve this alone, in a week you'll be back anyways, so we'll solve it together then. We're partners, right?" Whelps asked, smiling as he offered her a hand. Nisa chuckled, shaking that disturbingly-animated palm.

"Of course, partner. This bastard might be around for an extra week, but he'll cringe when I finally return. You can bet on that!" Nisa cheered. With that scene over with, both went to their rooms (Nisa's room was rather small, meaning Whelps couldn't sleep there. He did finally find a bed…in the Dogoo room. shudder, sorry, shippers), and soon, the entire cast slept as the Oracles did everything they could to help, Histoire still crying over the pain she had to remember.

For 5pb.,Uni, Nepgear, and Nisa, a dark premonition swept by them as their minds drifted off to bed. It wasn't just the atmosphere or the situation or the fact that Uni was sleeping in Nepgear's room ("S-shut up! It was the guest bed!"), but an unexplained feeling that made absolutely no sense. They had no idea what to expect when they depart for the Landmass, but unlike the rest of the cast, they felt as though nothing good was going to come out of it.

Especially with that passage from The Phantom running through their minds…

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 36, para 2:_

_".._I always have to speculate how the world even works under Celestia. Do they constantly monitor us? Do they plan our downfall every day? Do we dictate how they work? It truly baffles me, kind friends..."


	10. PART 2: The Heroes Leave Home

Chapter 13: In which the main characters depart to the perplexing island of possibly Lan16

Gargan City Harbor

Late Morning (_I gave up with Gamindustri time zones, readers. This narrator is not being paid enough to think)_

At precisely this time, Vert was watching the wheels go round on a bus, because she just happened to enjoy watching them roll. Since Blanc realized the Leanbox Goddess was no longer on the merry-go-round, she just had to let her horsebird go and catch up on the situation. Ram and Rom had no problem staying on that ride, though; horsebirds were just that damn awesome. (Dear lord, do you think _anyone _caught the reference between the lines? I even forgot!)

"Thunder Tits, I just want to make sure; this _is_ the right harbor, correct? I don't want to look like an ass in front of everyone when I show late," Blanc asked and stated, of course promoting her words with another name for a donkey. Vert batted an eye to her, before she looked back at the futuristic road, saddened by the fact that no more wheels were to be seen. Lowee's Goddess rolled her eyes.

"Oh Blanc, always the suspicious one. Chika told me specifically that Gargan City will see us off. Why would I lie to you?" Lady Green Heart asked, putting on the greatest innocent face you could ever imagine off a lady who was more American than the American author. Blanc placed a delicate finger up to her face.

"Well, let's see here. Maybe this whole zombie-shebacle is nothing but a fucked up rumor; that's right, I said the 'fuck' word! You were just making it all up so that when the time comes, you could easily get me alone and slaughter me like the pig you must picture me as! Hell, do you want to kill little ones too, you twisted freak?" Blanc snapped, the wind blowing under her, ready for her to transform. A sweatdrop signified that Vert had absolutely no idea what on Gamindustri she was talking about.

"B-Blanc, you know I would never do that! I have much more chivalry than you believe. Besides, how would that affect the harbor I chose? If that were true and I was planning to cut your life short, would I have not chosen a much more secluded area, away from the general public? Besides, _you _were the one that spotted the zombies in the first place!" Vert reassured her rival-Goddess-friend. Blanc puffed her cheek out, looking at the ground.

"…Fine…you bitch," she quickly let out, looking away as Vert gave a question mark to the world. The two younger girls were just about done with their ride, cheering rather loudly for such a tedious thing. Eh, at least they could do something during this rather boring wait; why was there a merry-go-round ride conveniently located near a ship dock? Lyric references, Blanc, lyric references…

When the ride did finally conclude, Ram and Rom ran up to their older sister, one pulling her sleeve, the other pouting, looking at the rather big ship just floating their by the harbor. "Blanc, when are we going? We've been waiting for an hour!" Ram complained. Blanc rolled her eyes, shooing Rom off her wrist.

"Soon, okay? Jeez, you have to learn to be patient. This might be the biggest event in your lives, you know?" Blanc questioned, staring off at the Landmass staring back at her. From this point in Gamindustri, the strange land was at its closest, taking up most of the horizon, even though it was still about a day's trip to get there. Just how big is that land, anyways?

Ram continued to pout. "Well, if it's so big, why are we still waiting? Are they really that lazy?" she yelled, kicking a pebble in frustration. Blanc sighed.

"No…well, for Neptune, yes, but they'll be here shortly. This is too big of a crisis for them to be late," Blanc reassured her little sister, still looking out at the landmass, which she could have sworn just grew bigger. Then again, the late-morning fog was not helping her in the slightest in terms of perspective. Vert nodded both at Blanc's words and at the captain far ahead, who was shooting weird signals at them.

"Indeed. I have faith that Histoire will wake them all up early. If she fails that, then certainly Chika will be the one to get them on track, or perhaps even Mina. I will give them about another 20 minutes before I begin to panic," Vert answered, lost in thought as a wave collided with the docks, spraying an uneven mist into the air. Blanc shrugged, hoping that would be an acceptable answer; she didn't like Vert answering for her, but for now, it was all enough.

"But, Nepgear…isn't lazy," the shy Rom stated. Blanc decided to ignore that. Instead, she picked up her incredulously large hammer and took a step back, allowing both of the younger sisters to be in complete view. She had hints of rage inside of her eyes, though luckily it was a more heroic rage than usual. Vert decided to just look on in curiosity.

"Okay, you two, raise your arms!" Blanc shouted. Both Ram and Rom rose their arms high in the sky, with Rom adorably asking "like this?" Blanc could only give a facepalm.

"God dammit (a sharp pain is felt as Mina-in-Blanc's-mind chasticed Lowee's CPU for swearing to the young ones), that's not what I meant! You girls are older now, and I believe I've already told you that when I say 'raise your arms,' I don't fu-I mean, _freaking _mean to raise your actual arms! Where are your weapons?" Blanc shouted, getting positively enraged. Vert was desperately trying to hold back her chuckles, but some managed to escape. Blanc shot a quick one to her before looking back at her adorably naïve sisters.

"Hey, Mina told us not to take our weapons out _unless _we are on that landmass, and someone is endangering us, and even then, she said _you'll _take care of it!" Ram said like the little runt Blanc pictured her to be. Blanc's eye began twitching.

"Blanc's…our bodyguard," Rom decided to join in.

_Oh, I'm the bodyguard? Keep up that damn smug attitude, and I'll throw you through a fucking survival course!_

"…Yes, but you still need to be prepared. I'm hoping you brought your staffs, or whatever you used to attack monsters before," Blanc stated, trying desperately to hold her anger back. Hell, wait, why should she? It's about time these two got some discipline when it comes to following orders! Forgive me; I didn't mean to make that line an editorial. "Take your weapons out right now, or I will bash this hammer straight on your heads!"

Both Ram and Rom winced at that, quickly going through the menu system to select their weapons, which were those extremely powerful staffs anyone who played the second game (and quite possibly the third game) had by the end. They both stood proud.

"Y-Yep, got my weapon right here!"

"This is it…Blanc."

Blanc nodded in approval. _Good, threats work…wow, Noire's right; I AM sadistic. Eh, who cares? _Blanc looked back out towards the landmass. "Okay, good. I hope that you will not need them, but it's for precaution. When we are on that landmass, you _will _stay near me at all times, no matter what. Got it? I'll do the majority of the fighting, but I still expect you both to be able to hold your ground, got it?" The CPU of Lowee asked demandedly. The two younger girls nodded.

"sigh fine, but you _know_ we could defend ourselves," Ram complained, holding out the staff into the air, trying to look like a fearless warrior. It was indeed correct that both of the White Sisters were fully capable of defending themselves (in a story-sense. If they were alone in the games, then they were most certainly doomed), being among the major parties that set out to defeat the devious ASIC long ago. Even their battle stances were perfected since that time, with Ram actually knowing how to defend herself and Rom knowing…how to somehow slice enemies with a wooden staff. Hey, if it works, it works!

"I completely understand that, and I must say that I am proud of that, but even then, this landmass is not part of Gamindustri, so we have no idea what lives there. It could be something as simple as a Dogoo, or something as disturbingly powerful as freaking Delphinus. Whatever it is, stay close no matter what," Blanc replied, using the hammer as some sort of makeshift cane, smiling to signify that she is a dedicated sister, a motherly figure, and an overall badass. To Vert, she still wasn't that much of any of those, but she will admit that, especially with the whole zombie ordeal, Blanc has shown to be a rather good sister, even if she proved to be rather harsh at times.

_Oh, I wonder how Blanc is dealing with this. I hope Mina could keep this problem under control. With that said, I hope Chika could keep Leanbox safe. Why did this have to happen during a zombie outbreak? I had a nice, new game too, and now two problems have to happen at once! Speaking of which, I have yet to see a single zombie in this City, _Vert yelled in her head. Judging from Blanc's smiling face, it was almost as if she was not feeling any sense of fear what-so-ever, but deep inside that stoic shield, she was definitely not enjoying this distraction from the zombies that, with time, might grow in numbers and eliminate the people of her landmass, and from recent studies, that is a bad thing. Still, if Mina mentioned the end of the world, then the end of the world will most certainly be expected.

As they continued to speak, a strange-looking APC drove up rather close to the Goddesses, adorned in the colors of purple and blue, a clear indication that it was from Planeptune. Various city folk closed around the sidewalk, knowing that their Goddess told them to stay inside, observing the strange car that even got Vert and Blanc baffled (you knew it was weird when a foreign landmass was _less_ weird). The back door of this vehicle soon opened, and six men hopped out, all dressed in green-and-red suits, running while crouched as though they were under fire from some unknown enemy. They appeared lost for a couple of seconds, before finally laying eyes on the Goddesses themselves, running up to them and standing in a straight, horizontal line.

"What in the world…" Blanc and Vert said in unison, the younger ones just giving dot eyes to the spectacle. The soldiers raised one of their arms in salute, some looking as serious as a certain bat-hero, others looking as goofy as a certain kitchen sponge somehow living under the sea. On their backs were military-ordered rifles and machine guns, along with some standard swords attached to a holster on their belts. From appearance only, it was clear that with no threats in a long while due to the "summer of love," the guns appeared to be severely mistreated.

One of the soldiers decided to break the silence. "This is Captain U.S. Les, reporting from Planeptune's Basilicom, along with my fellow army, the R.E.D's, reporting for duty, madam," Captain Les said with pride, looking straight into the eyes of Blanc (he would look at Vert, but he was afraid it wouldn't be her eyes that he would be staring at). The CPU of Lowee saluted back cautiously; never at any point ever interacting with actual members of an outer army (royal guards don't count).

"Um, hello there. Eh, erm, well, what exactly are you doing so far from Planeptune? Where's everyone else?" Blanc stated, clearly out of words. The Captain extended his hand, airbrushing his entire squad with his fingers.

"Me and the boys were instructed by Lady Histoire, Lady Chika, Lady Mina, and Still-not-sure Kei to join you to the landmass, for the sake of your protection in case of alarm and catastrophe that might appear before you. Never fear, young CPU's, my army will protect you from all evil that stands in our way," the Captain answered, once more saluting the Goddesses, smiling to look dignified, but ended up looking like a jackass. In the background, Vert was laughing. She didn't really hear what the man had to say; she was lost when she heard their acronym. Time for some heavy exploits.

"R.E.D's, huh? What does that stand for, Sir Les? **R**eally **E**fficient **D**eterminators? **R**eady to **E**xpire **D**iligently? **R**ad for **E**xactly twenty **D**arn minutes? **R**oyal **E**mperor **D**ragon?" Vert started bubbling, enjoying her fun with acronyms. Before video games became mainstream and the movie was but a thought in the minds of many, acronym fun was the big thing. Damn, people were boring back in the day.

"Uh, no, Lady Green Heart, our acronym is actually much more profound than you think. Our name stands for '**R**eadily available to join up at any moment to fight valiantly and **E**fficiently for our Goddesses until our hearts fully give out and we **D**ie a heroic death.' Neptune' Great-Great-Grandmother thought of it herself," U.S. Les answered Vert, who only nodded to ensure that she fully comprehended such a mess of a well-made acronym starter. Blanc realized what Vert might be implying with those names, and she chuckled.

"When we get on that landmass, exactly 6 hours," Blanc just randomly said. Vert knew what she was talking about, and tried to hold back her giggles. Captain Les looked shocked.

"Wait, what?" he asked. Blanc just shook her hand in the air, much to the confusion of Ram and Rom and the entire squad in front of them. _The less they know, the better. Jeez, who would have thought that the noble bitch Vert would have a dark side to her?_

As if she heard that, Vert thought, _hey, I think I deserve to act weird sometimes. I always will pray for their safety, but come on, they make it too easy!_

"Anyways," Ram suddenly butted in, "when are the others showing, anyways? We've been waiting for an eternity now!" The Captain heard the voice but didn't see who talked, but when he looked down to around his waist, he couldn't help but break slightly.

"Why, aren't you the cutest thing! gasp And there's another one right behind you! Oh, you two must be so-"

A quick, swift punch to the gut, courtesy of Blanc, rendered the Captain speechless. Before he could fully fall down, Blanc grabbed his neck and rose him straight into the air. She wasn't laughing anymore. "All right, you fucking bastard, my little sis just asked you a question, and dammit, you're going to answer her! Don't you dare start turning into fucking Pedobear on me, or you'll be the one needing protection, you jackass!" The CPU shouted, much to the horror of her twin sisters and the disgust of Vert. When Blanc realized she swore in front of her children, she turned back into her calm face and gave a puffed cheek. "Sorry," she said quickly to everyone that wasn't the Captain.

"J-Just saying that she was cute!" The Captain was finally released, allowing him to catch his breath. Shooing off his squadmates that only wanted to help, The Captain stood tall once more. "To answer your question, the other Goddesses will be joining up with you all momentarily. In fact, I believe I hear some Goddesses flying towards us right now!"

The lot of them looked back towards the city, and up in the air, heavily breaking through the thick fog, were orbs of both purple and black, four in total, heading straight towards them. Below on the streets, a LSPD police car drove up, with Whelps and Nisa exiting, Nisa finally dawning on her classic heroine costume since that event-which-we-will-not-discuss. How the car managed to drive all the way from Planeptune and beat the Goddesses (who, when flying, are pretty darn fast) to the harbor is beyond me. Ask Compile Heart or something; they were the ones who thought up the distance in this game!

"Lady Vert and Lady Blanc, long time no see! Let's meet this guy and beat him up for the sake of our peace!" Nisa shouted, her fang rather prominent in this scene. Whelps bowed formerly in front of the Goddesses, making Nisa laugh. "Come on, Whelps, you don't always have to be so formal. Vert especially enjoys it when people act informal, if I'm remembering correctly," The Heroine of Justice stated. Whelps gave her glare, but he did end up relaxing a little. Vert blushed at that fact being revealed, though Blanc was not in the mood right now to exploit that.

"Yes, I guess. Detective Joe Whelps, at your service," he said, extending his arm out for a shake. Vert politely responded to this, but sadly, Blanc stared at him, looking as though she wanted to throttle the poor detective's neck. Whelps was left hanging for a little bit, before he decided that he wasn't getting anywhere, leaving him to back up. "I won't be joining you on this journey, but my partner Nisa will be."

"I had experience with her before, Mr. Whelps. We promise that your partner will be okay and safe when she returns," Vert reassured the detective. Blanc was staring at the ground, only nodding. Damn other people having nothing to do with her nation. She bats an eye upon them!

Another car drove up to the harbor, this time being a rather nice limo, decked out in the colors of Leanbox herself. Out stepped a Chauffeur, who opened the back door, allowing 5pb., IF, Compa, and even Epica out of the vehicle. At some point during the night, Epica drove to Planeptune's Basilicom after hearing that someone spotted 5pb. there, and she's been with them ever since. High above, the Goddesses were finally landing at a clearing on the side of the road, much to the shock of the city folk, who either said "cool" or ran away in fear of being attacked. Hey, at least there weren't any zombies!

"Seriously, I'm not bringing Fivey ovah to that island. No, no wai!" Epica yelled at IF and Compa, seriously glomping 5pb. from behind. IF rolled her eyes.

"Epica, she's going to be fine. I'll be with her the entire time, and if I'm not around, then Compa will be. You don't need to be so worked up about all this," IF tried to be reassuring, but unfortunately, Epica was not buying it in the slightest.

"Guys, all of ya were teleported out of tha hospita'! If this freak could do tha', Iffy, than I don't trust it!" Epica protested. As IF shook her head, knowing that Compa had no idea what to do either, 5pb. herself decided to intervene. IF couldn't win them all, anyways.

"Epica, this guy was at that concert toying with me somehow. I need to go over there to stop the end of the world, I guess, but I…you know, want to speak to this guy privately," Lyrica said, knowing that she probably didn't sound as persuasive as she had hoped. Epica shook her head.

"No, just no! You are not talking tah some evil gui all alone! Iffy, If I canna' persuade ya, then please, you and tha' Compa chick stay by her at all costs, got me? I don' want tha' man getting' all perverted and stuff!" Their manager yelled, tugging IF's shoulder harshly. IF grimaced at this, finally leading to Compa saying something, completing this strange, haphazard trio.

"No need to worry, Miss Epica, Fivey will be safe, and Iffy won't be much of a hassle. We'll be fine. If Doctor Compa could say that, then it will be true. Don't you fret!" Doctor Compa said, being the only one in that trio who was able to actually convince that childish manager. Relieving IF's shoulder (who gasped at the sudden feeling of not-pain), Epica finally smiled, though she was still quite unsettled about all this.

"I have not talked with ya yet, Doctor Compa, but for some reason, I trust ya fully. Here, take mah number," Epica gave Compa her cell-number, complete with its strange caller ID (THEBESTTIEEPICA). All three of those girls had that number, just in case of emergency. "Don't forget to call out thar, in case of trouble, hon. I hope they get reception out thar."

"We'll be fine, Epica. Honest," 5pb. answered, and with a major glomp from Epica to all three of them at once, all of them walked to the boat to join up with the Goddesses (Blanc was actually polite this time, waving kindly to all of them, thanks to Compa once taking care of her, IF fixing her phone, and 5pb. because she's 5pb. Sadly, Vert waved politely to IF and Compa, but gave nothing for 5pb., who winced. Did Epica notice her bandages, yet?)

Purple Heart along with Purple Sister eventually turned back to their mortal forms of Neptune and Nepgear, feeling fully refreshed for sleeping who knows how long thanks to these time zones (yeah, apparently they have different timezones on each landmass). Neptune was carrying her super-awesome-kickass-sword and was feeling rather pumped up. Oh man, what type of evil, devious creatures roamed that strange landmass? She knew all-too-well that just slaughtering creatures without knowing what on Gamindustri they were was a terrible thing, but if there are any creatures that are harming anything, oh, she will break out that sword and go Kiu Lang on their asses.

Nepgear was reacting a little differently. The landmass was even closer, and with many details now revealing themselves to her, she felt as if the land was beckoning her, drawing her into its ungrateful void. She knew that this was all necessary (or possibly useless), and that the landmass technically _was _calling to her in a really bizarre manner, but it was still very unnatural to her. She knew that The Phantom was on that landmass, but was there anything else there? Are there monsters like on Gamindustri, or are they all strange and unique? Is The Phantom the only human (if you could say that about him) on that landmass, or are there others; perhaps even an entire civilization? These were all questions she feared were about to be answered in some unconventional way.

It was then that Nepgear heard a shriek of pain and terror, causing her to face our dear little Uni, who was quite pale as a ghost. "Uni, what's wrong?" Nepgear yelled, running to her friend and gently helping her stand straight. She was very pale, and she was sweating quite profusely, with her limbs shaking. Her breathing was heavy, and from the looks of things, it appeared as though she was hit quite brutally.

"I-I'm…fine, Nepgear. You don't…have to help…me," Uni said completely wrecked, ready to topple over at any moment. She really did not want Nepgear to see her in such a state, but seeing as how Uni looked like a diseased person about to die, Nepgear wouldn't stop supporting her. It wasn't long before both of the Purple Sisters saw Noire also appearing rather sick, sporting the same symptoms. Compa was too busy checking on 5pb.'s head, so Nepgear didn't bother calling her, at least not yet. Like Nepgear, Neptune ran up to the elder Black Sister.

"Damn, Noirey, catch some babyvader flu on the way or something? You look like a zombie, which I guess is fitting here in Leanbox," Neptune said, giving an aside glance to Vert, hoping that the Goddess would get angry, but she was too far away. She didn't mean that in a harmful way; she just like making jokes to lighten the mood, is all. Though, I guess that particular joke was in bad taste…

"Please don't…look at me right…now, Neptune. It's…the shares that's doing this," Noire said, sounding completely drained, even more-so than her little sister. Noire shot her a dirty look, making both Purple Sisters jump. Nepgear looked over at Neptune, wondering if this strange share issue will become a gameplay feature. Neptune shrugged thinking the same thing. She simply concluded that it was not a gameplay feature in , or even the third game, so it was…surprisingly likely in the end.

"Hey, we're over here, fellow Goddesses! We're ready to kick some patooey, right, Neptune?" Nisa shouted from afar. Neptune sent her fist up into the air, and proceeded to help the ailing Lastation CPU, though Noire slapped Neptune's hand away rather bluntly ("I don't…need help, dammit,") in protest. Uni wanted to do the same, but in the end Nepgear had to hold her up by the shoulder, seeing as how the Candidate's knees began to buckle; being young sucked when it came to this.

"Oh My. Noire, will you be okay during all this? You and your sister look rather miserable," Vert asked rather genuinely rather than sarcastic towards her rivals. Noire nodded. "Listen, I'm so very sorry about your share shortage. Perhaps I could hel-"

"No, you won't. Never you…never _you_," Noire said, her face devoid of any emotion, though her voice was exactly that monotone that scared Uni yesterday. Vert shrugged, knowing that Lastation's pride always interfered in such serious matters. Uni looked at Leanbox's Goddess, but before Vert could say anything, she looked back down in shame. _Dammit, Noire, you can't just make her ashamed of it as well…_

As Nepgear embraced the two little White Sisters with the greatest love of family and friendship and all that is goodness, the last car of the group drove up, and appearing outside of the metallic moveable object were the four oracles, along with Falcom and Cave, who appeared to be rather restless. They were just informed of this whole situation, which means about two hours ago, causing a rather hefty panic for them. Blanc, noticing the fiery red head (the heroine, not the cool-as-ice girl), immediately felt a feeling of awesomeness creep up on her, though she made sure her emotions were in check, just to make sure she didn't embarrass herself in front of everyone. The Oracles quickly ran up to their respective Goddesses.

Chika quickly grabbed Vert's arm and handed her this wireless transceiver-thingy. "Oh Vert, I tried to tell them not to send you, but they wouldn't listen. Please call every 10 minutes so I know nothing bad has happened. I don't know what I would do if you vanished again!" the Leanbox Oracle cried, producing real tears as she digressed to that of a little child begging for their toy to not be taken away from them.

Vert let out a playful laugh. "Relax Chika, you know I will return. Please, make sure this zombie outbreak is contained. When I return, we will fully eradicate this problem. Together," Vert stated, proudly taking the transceiver from her most favorite Oracle in the world. Chika nodded, though a smile never played upon her lips. If Vert vanished out there or even…di-the D-word, Chika would probably go completely mad. That was an outcome she definitely wanted to shy away from.

Kei, Mina, and Histoire each handed their respected Goddess a transceiver, and even spared some for the Makers. Cave looked at the strange contraption in her hands and said "Why do we require these? Do standard cell-phones not work on that Landmass?"

Mina nodded, though she also shrugged. "For now, even we do not know. These transceivers will work whatever the case is, so if the phones are inoperable, please, don't be shy and use them," Lowee's Oracle said, before turning to the little girls by her side. "Remember you two, behave on that landmass. Stay by Blanc the entire time, and don't disturb the group!"

"groan Mina, we know. Rom and I are grown-ups, now. We'll be the ones that have to save Blanc!" Ram said, putting her hands to her hips.

"Grown-ups…" Rom replied.

Mina looked over at Blanc, ready to also tell her how to behave, but she saw Lowee's CPU over near Falcom, pratically drooling at her favorite idol (Falcom felt extremely awkward, issuing a face-palm from Cave). _Blanc, you better control yourself out there. Don't get too prideful, and most importantly, don't drool in front of the children! You look so childish! It's cute, but…_

"You will use these when you arrive on the landmass first thing tomorrow, and you will update us with information periodically. If any event occurs that puts you in danger, you will call; if any event occurs that deals with disease, you will call; If you succeed, you will call; if you fail, you **will **call," Kei explained, looking over everyone as though she was their drill sergeant. She looked over at Captain U.S. Les. "You are all fully capable of defending yourselves, but in the case of emergency, squad R.E.D. will be there to aid you. They are there for your protection, and will see you through to the end. We do not know if The Phantom is still hostile, but just in case, ready your weapons at any form of danger. Do I happen to make myself clear?" Kei asked, nodding to herself in delight.

"Yes!" the group shouted in unison, some in perfect tones of "hell yeah" while others were hesistant, almost borderline unsure. Histoire decided to take the base.

"I wish you all good luck on Lan16. It has been decided by us that we will not join you, as we were not fully part of ASIC's demise. We will be your support, so even if there isn't any danger, call us quickly. We only have less than a week to fulfill The Phantom's demands, so hurry to him as soon as humanly possible. To the Goddesses and the humans, I wish you all to be safe on that Landmass," Histoire lectured, tears surprisingly appearing in her eyes. They were not of gratitude or respect, but instead of terror, as that horrid scene of her pages burning played out before her. She truthfully feared that the group of heroes might end up just like her. Hey, who knows; maybe The Phantom has changed his ways and will really save the world. _Please, let that be the truth…_

With that, all the Oracles, Epica, and Whelps lined up and saluted the group that will hopefully return in one piece. Everyone was rather confused at this gesture; never experiencing this form of flattery and respect (not even Vert received a salute line like this) is what caught them off guard. In the end though, they returned the favor and saluted back, with most of them taking it rather not-seriously like the Oracles were. Nisa looked at Whelps dead in the eye.

"Good luck on the case, Whelps."

"Good luck saving the world, Nis."

Knowing that this would be the last time she would see her partner for quite a long time, she grinned at him and gave the thumbs up. Whelps felt weird seeing this considering everyone else was still saluting, but he decided to give the same motion. He was praying deep down that Nisa will come back okay. That wireless transceiver had him on the dial, so no matter what, he'll at least know if she was okay or dying on the side of the road. _Don't think that, dammit! _Whelps yelled deep inside. From now on, he had to focus on the murders, and hopefully put a stop to all of this.

"Hey, why can't I join in on the fun?"

As this moment of final confrontations occurred, Lady Plu-Ah shit, Iris Heart, appeared out of nowhere, walking seductively down the road towards our Heroines, holding her sword like a whip-like paddle, her long, bluish-purple hair blowing carelessly in the wind. The town folk were now split into two camps once more; one camp was for the people that were utterly afraid of this Goddess, and made a run for it, while the other camp had the strangest feeling within their you-know-what's, and it wasn't just the men that were feeling it.

Histoire's eyes snapped open, and she quickly flew in front of the Goddess, knowing full well that this could lead to an unfortunate event, if she was not careful enough. "Lady _Plutia, _shouldn't you be back in your own world by now? What in the world is the other Histoire thinking right now?" Histoire demanded, bringing her tome straight up to Iris's Heart's face. One should realize that when people suddenly do such a motion, _and _have the audacity to go on and call her "Plutia" when transformed truly angers her.

However, Iris Heart held back her anger amazingly, and suddenly transformed back. This allowed all of the Oracles, who were probably about to lose it right there, to at least calm down a little. Neptune took sight of the other Goddess, smiled, and skipped over to her in delight. "Hell yah, Plutie's here. Now it's a party!"

Plutia waved in delight towards her friend, but the angry stare from Histoire prevented her from greeting further. "Sorry, Histy, I would've left, but my Histy said to stay for a little bit longer, you know? I guess she's doing some housecleaning, and doesn't want me to get the floor dirty," Plutia said, confused as much as everyone else. Neptune patted the other Goddess on the shoulder, leading them to coo at one another rather hilariously. The Heroines of Gamindustri waited impatiently as Histoire tried to hold back a yell.

"I guess she has her reasons, but no matter what, you must go back to the Basilicom! This is my universe, and thus you must follow my command, okay?" Histoire said, before being surprised that it was Neptune who answered next.

"Ah, let it go for a little bit, Histy. I think Plutie should have the right to at least say good-bye! She's not doing anything wrong, is she? I personally am flattered, and I thank you, dear Plutie!"

"Aw, thanks Nep-Nep! Still though, I don't understand why I can't go with you to the landmass! It looks like fun!" Plutia said, making Histoire's eyes twitch. She knows that she went over this with Plutia just a few hours ago, and she knows that Plutia is smarter than she lets on (she still stands as the only person alive to beat Histoire at a game of triple-mongolian-richard-minimicicpolin chess), so really, she was probably just being an ass right now.

Neptune patted the other Goddess on the shoulder once more, looking down in disappointment. "Sorry, Plutie, but this is one adventure you'll just have to sit out. If ya show up, that Phantom-doofus will probably make the whole world explode! So…sorry, Plutie," the CPU of Planeptune said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Plutia began to look depressed.

"But I want to help. It's the least I could do for all of you!"

Histoire had something to say about that. "Well, Planeptune has not seen the zombie threat yet, but it is certain that it will spread there soon. Perhaps you can stay there then and make sure that doesn't happen. Hm? That will certainly help us," Histoire said, trying to sound supportive, though in the end she did sound pretty angry, with her voice almost coming out as a hiss rather than genuine emotion. It was hilarious, really.

"Yeah, what Histy said! Don't worry about us, Plutie! You stay here, and make sure no zombies go for our brains! I promise you that we'll bring you a souvenir when we get back, and then we'll exchange stories like old women about how much we kick ass. Sound cool?"

Plutia looked at her friend, and very slowly, a big smile formed on her face. "Okay! I promise, Neptune, I'll protect your home. Even if I have to bash my way through, or even step and humiliate a criminal or two, I'll make sure you have a home to come back to!" Plutia said, her random slip making everyone wince. Neptune saluted her as Histoire contemplated whether it was wise to actually let Plutia take the main defensive line, though now was not the time to fight her thoughts. It was clear that even though Neptune was happy, she was pretty sad about leaving Plutia and Histoire behind.

It was all quite emotional, really, as each one of them grabbed their belongings (yes, to all the readers out there, they had everything, from armor to standard wear and even some potions) and departed to the ship. This would be the last time any of them would set foot on Gamindustri for probably about a week, so each one of them savored this moment. Chika was bawling like a baby as the rest sighed, readying their transceivers in case the time did indeed come. Please, oh please let The Phantom be a good guy in this story-

"Hey, wait. Where's Gust?"

As the image turned negative, it was that sudden shock that sent everyone on his or her backs-to-the-ground. How could the Oracles even forget about her? She was more important than Cave and Falcom (both glared at me, so I will not continue that one), and yet they simply neglected to find her?

"Shit," Kei said, wincing at herself, while Mina and Chika gave facepalms. The group looked about themselves, but found no little girl running about in an alchemist suit. Oh, this was surely not good.

"Well, she can't be far! She has to be close by; she just has to!" IF stammered, not believing that such a hiccup could occur at a crucial time like this. Neptune looked about herself, but shrugged in sadness.

"Well, she's not here, and last time I checked, she was in Lowee, right? Uh oh, that's not good at all," Neptune said, still trying to sound happy, though at this rate that was simply not working out for her. The Goddesses shook their heads.

"Oh no, if that's the case, then it would be a big waste of time! We need to depart now, in case The Phantom gets impatient," Mina said, looking negatively depressed and stressed at the same time. Everyone was most likely swearing in their minds (Gosh, Blanc, I did not know that word could be used like that), knowing that Gust would be the easiest to point out, and yet she was the most elusive during all this.

As if on cue, the captain of the ship descended from the ship and appeared through the fog, smiling his teeth that happened to be missing one tooth. "Hey ladies, just wanting to say that we are completely prepared to set sail," he said, twirling his funky moustache. Compa looked at him with a tear in her eye.

"We want to board, Captain, but we're missing one of our friends. Her name is Gust, and we don't know where she is!" Doctor Compa addressed. The Captain looked alarmed at first, then really hurt to see such a pretty girl cry, then finally a feeling of realization.

"Gust, you said? We have a Gust onboard already. Would that-"

"Ohhh, does she wear an alchemist suit? Is she really, really small? Does she wear the funkiest hat you will ever see~?" Neptune chirped in, sparkles eminating from her eyes. The Captain was taken aback.

"Erm, yes, all three of those sound like her. She had a cauldron with her too, said she was going over there to collect ingredients or something. Is she-"

The Goddesses and the humans quickly bolted the Captain down, leaving the Oracles and the other two in confusion. "If Gust truly is there, than I think deus ex machina has finally worked out for us," Kei said. The others nodded, and they all turned to face the ship once more.

"Gust! It's been too long!"

Gust was down inside the bottom part of the ship, standing next to some lockers, when she heard the familiar voice of Nepgear. When she saw them, she immediately jumped up. "Everyone! Gust is so happy to see all of you again," the little alchemist-that-could said, hugging Nepgear with all her might. The rest of the party sighed in relief. "Tell me, why are you all here? Did Nepgear want items, too?"

Nepgear felt pretty awkward, knowing that in order to explain this to her, she will have to go through heavy exposition with her. "Um…" Nepgear started, before descending into a rampant of knowledge that has been shared far too many times because this plot narrative is severely broken. When she finished, she along with the rest of the group felt that Gust would be completely confused and disturbed, possibly scared. Instead, however, Gust replied very nonchalantly.

"Okay, Gust will help you!"

The group had no idea whether they should feel relieved that she took it so well, or scared for the exact reason. Oh well, at least the players earned the "Gang's All Here" bronze trophy. It will be the last easy one to obtain. The Captain soon returned onboard, having some severe footprints embedded on his face. He knew that there were Goddesses onboard, but he really wanted to snap.

"Okay, is this everyone now? Are we safe to depart?" he asked. Seeing as how no one else had the instinct to answer him, 5pb. decided to.

"Y-Yes, Captain, this is everyone," the idol said. The Captain was surprised to see such a famous idol in his presence, but as the Captain of this crew and boat, he decided to hold back his excitement. He saluted them and climbed to the top, addressing his crew to begin sailing off to the unknown land. Neptune suddenly bursted out with excitement.

"Come on, everyone! Let's wave goodbye to Gamindustri! At least they'll see Gust," she said, quickly running up the stairs, much to Noire's and Nepgear's chagrin. Yet, all of them did climb aboard, ready to look off from the stern at Gamindustri slowly growing smaller. When they got up there, the fog finally began to dissipate, allowing them to see the Oracles, Plutia, Epica, and Whelps clearly, along with the beautiful backdrop of Leanbox (Lastation and even Planeptune were visible if you looked carefully enough). When the Oracles noticed them (especially Gust), they waved like little kids, especially Kei who was normally the stoic one. Tears were being shed from both sides, as the crowds also waved towards their Goddess, hoping she was going to have a safe journey.

"Goodbye, everyone! Planeptune forever!" Neptune chirped, before being slapped by Vert. How dare she insult her nation by pulling an advertisement at the last second? Eh, Neptune felt accomplished, finally securing a reaction from the big-breasted Goddess. Noire shook her head in disgust.

From there on, They weren't going to be on Gamindustri; in the loving care and support of her people. By morning, they will be on possibly-Lan16, and whatever occurs there will certainly be unexpected. As Whelps and Epica left the fanfic for a while, the Goddesses and humans began to head deeper into the ship, hoping to get top-bunk if possible. The Oracles continued to watch, not ever wanting to see their Goddesses fully leave.

Who knows; this might be the last time they will ever see them alive, physically and/or mentally.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 265, para 6:_

"Yet, no matter how the days are drawn through by time and reality, it always appears as though something is indeed controlling our very motions. It seems that for many, walking around in circles and saying the exact same quote everytime is but the natural thing to do, and no matter what is done around them, they will never change their course or mind until something completely drastic causes their path to be obscured or hindered. Personally, the Polygonal Gods might have something to do with this, but as of now what in the world is going through their minds as they walk about in a rut that will never pass? By simplistic observation, it seems that as the town gets bigger, and various new achievements are earned in architecture and agriculture, more and more citizens fall into this lapse of strange oddity. I shall research further upon this, but until then, many seem to be entering the uncanny valley…"


	11. PART 2: Everyone Holds an Issue

Chapter 14: In which our heroes enjoy the boat ride before arriving on possibly Lan16

Vector Sea

Afternoon-Evening

Nisa was rather bored on the ship, so she ended up exploring the top-level. Waving to the various sailors and running with a few seagulls that happened to be close by, she noticed on a bench a newspaper that was suddenly beginning to fade and rot. Not wanting Gamindustri's children to forget the wonders of looking through old, decriped papers for local events, she snatched it and brought it to her room, placing it gently on her bed. The headliner on the front page stated in bold lettering:

**WHY DID SHE DO IT?**

How such a disturbing mistake caused the destruction of the Ancient land

Nisa did not understand why this newspaper was on the boat (perhaps a sailor enjoyed reading really old things), but she decided that she would read it when she was bored. She walked back out into the daylight sun, embracing its nice warmth compared to the rainy days back in Gamindustri. She looked out from the stern at Gamindustri, still being able to make out various tiny fragments that were the people still watching them, though Nisa was not sure if the Oracles or Whelps were still present on the beach. "Ah, the sea wind really picks up the mood!" the Heroine of Justice proclaimed, enjoying the sudden gusts that happened to speed beyond her.

Below her on the B1 level, she heard two voices that appeared to be in deep conversation. Feeling slightly left out (_are you kidding me? Does no one else enjoy the air of the sea? Heroes are born from this weather!)_, Nisa decided to head on down and see what the chatter was about. When she got down there, she noticed that they were in the locker room, both IF and Gust. IF was currently putting on some new shoes, with her over-sized jacket placed right next to her (she couldn't just go on an adventure without it, I suppose). Gust was standing in her usual attire, though she now had a color suit rather than a baby blue coloring. They were both talking about what the flying hell was going on.

"So, Gust is really needed to prevent the end of the world?" The confused alchemist asked. IF shrugged, but she did nod.

"I guess so. This creep wasn't exactly elaborate when it came to us. He said he just wanted to the Goddesses to stop this, but he wanted us to come just for the sake of another video game in this series, or something like that. Sounds pretty damn suspicious to me," IF responded, finally placing on her boot, allowing her to stand and stretch and fully partake in this discussion. Nisa was watching from the back, unsure if she should join or not. She'll admit, she enjoyed having conversations with IF (she was actually a good person to talk to when times are low), but with Gust…she did enjoy conversations with her, but, well, you know, things just sometime happen. Nisa was afraid of what will occur if she did join up with this hubbub.

"I understand…kind of. Is Phantom really that scary?" Gust asked, that classic dot-eye look dominating her face. She just happened to get on this boat (she paid the Captain quite the hefty sum, even though he wasn't allowed to accept anyone else on the boat without Vert and the Oracle's permission. Eh, guess it all worked out in the end) so she could collect whatever ingredients could be found on the new land, not to go on an adventure and take out a man that may-or-not be a deadly person. Quite the mood whiplash for her, though she did agree to do it early on, if you remembered her last words from the previous chapter. Either way, IF shrugged once more.

"He was just a creep to me; He didn't look human, but he didn't look all that threatening, either. Compa and the rest are scared, of course, but really, he just seems like a loser who lives with his mom at 40 years old," IF smirked, hoping to ease the worry from one of the youngest members of their group, at least we think she is. Gust nodded her head, somehow keeping that hat perched on her hair.

"If you say so. Gust trusts you, IF," Gust said, smiling a little bit, relieved somewhat over the situation. IF was slightly shy there, not liking that type of praise, but if it wins her the trust of her fellow comrades, then so be it. Nisa was glad that Gust was doing okay, but she still felt guilt over what occurred almost a year ago today. It was a memory that she really never wanted to share with the world, but keeping it locked inside of her was slowly draining all of the energy from her body.

However, Nisa probably should learn how to be even stealthy to begin with, for IF quickly tilted her head and noticed that familiar scarf dangling in the doorway. "Nisa, is that you?" Nisa yelped at being noticed, and quickly tucked away her scarf; hoping IF would pass it off as a petty illusion. Unfortunately for her, IF was pretty wise, as she decided to walk over and see what the hell the Heroine of Justice was doing. Feeling the presence of the tomboyish(?) girl right on the other side of the door, Nisa knew that it was useless to just listen in.

Nisa jumped out of the doorway and into the room, knocking IF to the floor in surprise. "Jeez, why do you have to always do that?" IF yelled, rubbing her head, making sure the beret was still perched upon her. Gust only stood there, chuckling over how funny that fall was, but her grin soon diminished when she fully came to realize that Nisa was indeed standing right in front of her. Yes, she could have been able to see the Heroine of Justice when they first arrived on the boat, but at the time, Nisa was so far back in the crowd that little Gust wouldn't have been able to make her out (it was all intentional, of course. Nisa was just praying that Gust was not there, and was not needed for this trip).

"Hello…Nisa," Gust said with the greatest hesitance a person could use. Nisa looked at her freaked out, knowing all-too well that if this were to happen, she would probably just freeze up. Surprisingly, Nisa did not exactly freeze, but she was clearly caught off guard.

"H-Hi, c-comrade. Long time-no-see, eh?" Nisa said, her lips twitching. She could feel her cool breaking apart with every word spewed from her mouth. Gust just stared at her, never shifting to a darker emotion or a lighter one. IF finally got off the floor, swearing under her breath as no one came to at least ask if she was okay.

Gust made a small nod. "Yep, Gust agrees. Everything going okay?" the little alchemist asked. IF still had no idea why they were talking to one another in such a strange, monotonous style, though as she listened to Gust, she realized that there was, underneath that mask of calmness, a tone of anger coming from the little girl. IF had absolutely no clue as to what form of turmoil rested between these two.

"Uh, yeah, everything is going okay. Delivered about a couple of swift justice kicks here-and-there, but other than that, peace is generally…peaceful, I guess," Nisa stated, still holding on to the last bit of cool she had left in her. IF looked at her perplexedly, shaking her head. Since when did Nisa sound like that? Even in her most disparaging moments, the Heroine of Justice always reacted like the heroine she was.

Gust nodded and turned. "Okay, nice talking with you," the little girl said, nodding at IF before she finally disembarked from the room. IF turned her head to look at both of them quickly, still trying to gather what in the world she just missed. Was there a scene that was supposed to precede this one, and the author just decided to leave it out? Was there some sort of event from the past that Miss IF was clearly not informed of? Man, she really hated it whenever she was uninformed.

Once the little girl left, IF looked at Nisa annoyed. "Okay, what on Gamindustri was that about?" IF yelled, making the scarf and prinny on Nisa's back(!) jump in fright.

"I-I…sorry, Miss IF, but I just can't say it out loud. It is something that bugs this heroine every day and night, especially when fighting the pitiful. Forgive me," Nisa sighed, feeling even worse than when she first started holding all of this back. She hoped that this scenario would only last a few days, possibly a few hours; she did not want a stupid conflict to erupt on a foreign land.

IF rolled her eyes. "If you say so. I thought you guys were best buds, or something. What, you had a stupid fight and now your being all bitchy about it?" she asked, knowing that she could use her ambiguously-older age against her ambiguously-younger aged partner, who suddenly gave off steam from her ears.

"I-I'm not being bitchy! The upholder of Justice is not allowed to be bitchy, or any other feelings of a jerkass! It's just…I need some time to think, all right?" Nisa yelled, before stomping out of the room, leaving IF to simply look on in confusion, not entirely sure of what to do next. Nisa ran straight into her room, threw the newspaper down onto the floor, promptly placed her head in her pillow (her scarf was haphazardly crushed under her "modest-sized" bust, and her prinny bag appeared to be sentient, looking around in confusion), and wept for quite some time.

What in the world? Why is there such a major conflict going on here? Sure, we have seen some hints in previous paragraphs from previous chapters, but why is it starting to be re-elaborated upon? Will this strange, hindered relationship be brought up on the new landmass, and if it is, will it cause some major problems in the long-run? Hopefully not, but at this point, who in the world will simply know?

* * *

IF, after that whole whatever-the-hell-that-scene-was, decided to shrug it off, knowing that she really did not want to interfere in some childish dispute. She walked onto the deck, looking out towards the many clouds that dotted the horizon that was clear of any landmass. Besides the whole situation with The Phantom and the end-of-the-world and the zombie debacle, today was surprisingly ideal and peaceful. IF leaned over the guardrail, placing a hand on her chin as she watched the waves bouncing around the mighty ship. She was expecting to be alone, when she saw the idol herself also watching the waves. At first, IF thought she didn't notice her, but out of nowhere, 5pb. said:

"The waves look pretty, don't they?"

IF was confused and slightly weirded out, not knowing exactly what to say in response, though she had to wonder if Lyrica even wanted an answer. She appeared bored, her bandaged arms acting as a rest for her head; her hair was blowing in tune with the wind, and from where IF stood, the sun reflected off of her perfectly, almost making her look like the perfect angel. IF couldn't help but blush at this image of her music partner, but when Lyrica finally turned her head, IF quickly looked away, not wanting to look like a pervert. "Hm?" 5pb. whispered.

IF was busy looking at a galloping fish (wait, what?), trying to keep her focus off of the idol. "Oh, yeah, the waves are pretty. Yep," IF stammered, still feeling slightly weird. _Why did she have to stand in front of the sun like that? Dammit, she looks gorgeous!_ Finally, after the blushing subsided, IF looked directly at her partner's face, still attempting to mask her strange feelings. "Hey, how are doing, anyways? Those cuts healing?"

Lyrica looked back out towards the sea and nodded. "My left hand hurts a lot, but other than that, I feel pretty nice. Thanks for asking," 5pb. answered, flexing that said hand out into the air to emphasize. IF gave her partner (ssss-stop saying partner! Say "music partner," okay?) a nice smile, finally letting go that whole conversation she had before with those two bumpkins of nature. At least Lyrica had no problems (besides those bruises, but no psychological issues as of now, or at least IF had no idea about them).

"Making sure. I don't want to see you hurt out there. Epica will kill me if that happens! Besides, its pretty depressing seeing you hurt," IF stated, adjusting her over-sized coat so that a hand could finally be visible past the sleeve, feeling even more weird that she added that last tidbit in the end. Lyrica chuckled, and she walked over to a case that was perched on a bench. She pulled out her standard acoustic guitar and began strumming quietly, humming a small scale to herself. IF suddenly remembered something possibly important, pulling out a paper from her waist pocket. "Hey, Lyree, can you check something for me? It's a new song I began to wrote, and I don't know what to put at the end."

Lyrica immediately stopped strumming and took the folded paper that was in IF's hands. The paper was simplistic, only showing stanza's and basic cord progressions (IF couldn't play guitar, but she was actually accurate when it came to understanding sheet-music), with the title of the paper being "Dust in the Breeze", clearly one of IF's more deeper songs. 5pb. had to admit that this was one of her favorite one's she had seen from her partner, being that it affected her quite a bit after just reading the first stanza. The song was clearly not a difficult one to pull off, and if the notes were final, it was just basic strumming with lyrics thrown into it.

"Iffy, this is beautiful," Lyrica proclaimed, falling in love with the song every minute that was available. IF blushed once more and scratched her head.

"Hey, it's not that good. It was just a practice song. I mean, compared to your writing, mine's grade-A crap," IF said, not enjoying so much praise from her partner-ahem, "music" partner. This would be her 18th work for Royale-5, and while Lyrica would simply say that she was improving with each and every installment, IF felt she was pretty bland. She was often considered either a "Ghost Writer" or "the silent member" by her fans due to her ban on any appearances in media (hilarious, right? Another damn mystery). 5pb., of course, felt that this decision was sad, for she really wanted her friend to achieve some form of fame.

"Just a practice song? Iffy, this is so potent and simplistic that it actually trumps most of my works! Here, let me try playing it," 5pb. said, picking up her guitar once more. IF wanted to protest, but deep down she really wanted to hear 5pb. sing her song, no matter how crappy she thought it was. Lyrica was correct in the fact that the song was basic, but somehow when she played it, you could have said that it was the most complicated work ever conceived in Gamindustri, even more complicated than the works of Billy Mendrix.

When she began singing the first line, IF felt somewhat lax and actually elated over how nice Lyrica's voice came out. Unlike the songs she played on the stage the other day, this song required no yelling, allowing her voice to travel through the world like a beautiful gust of wind. No matter how she denied it, Lyrica's singing always brought IF's day up, allowing her to feel so great and whimsical. That was the power of Lyrica's voice, one of the many factors that brought ASIC down and possibly-though-not-really brought the Seven Sages down, if that actually happened and if the author actually played the game and…

The waves crashed against the boat, the baygulls screeched high up in the heavens, the sun lit the world up, and Lyrica was singing in perfect tone, playing her guitar perfectly, which actually made IF worried because of her injuries. She saw that Lyrica untied her bandages just before taking the guitar out, and against all odds, she was actually appearing to be very okay. _As long as Compa doesn't see this. She could get pretty disturbing when riled up._

However, the mood began to change fast. While IF was still in a pleasantry of euphoria, 5pb. began to grow paler and paler. She was still playing and singing in the physical world, but in her mind, nothing was essentially…correct. The sunlight was replaced by a thicket of darkness and fear, and IF quickly vanished from her field of vision. Soon, the entirety of noise and the world around her was gone into the abyss, and only she remained; her, and her acoustic guitar. Her grand feelings were forgotten, as the fear she had exhibited during her previous charity concert soon returned to wrought her mind. _Oh no, what's going on?_

The darkness soon turned into a deep crimson, and all around her were pockets of intense flame, stretched out across the very world that stood before her. While she acknowledged that she had to still be on the boat, the fires stretched out far past the guard-rail, and honestly, there didn't even appear to be an ocean, but instead a highway that would never cease. What in the flying Goodness could she possibly be doing here, and why was she the only one present in this dark chasm? Was this The Phantom's doing?

As if almost on cue, a strange figure appeared far out in the distance, surrounded by a variety of steam and smoke. It was completely impossible to make him/her out, but because of her previous experiences, 5pb. could already assume who this figure could be, and it wasn't the answer that she really wanted. It loomed closer towards her, humming something too difficult to make out. The fire simply pushed itself aside as the being made its way towards her, and while she wanted to get up and run (leaving the acoustic, if that was necessary), she was completely frozen, and the figure simply wouldn't stop moving, and it wouldn't stop moving, and it wouldn't stop moving-

_Oh, someone make it stop!_

When the being came into view, she was not at all surprised to find The Phantom as the person, though she was still extremely creeped out. No matter the scene or the situation, his face will never change from that grin, and his countenance was still uncanny to the human eye. His humming became clearer and clearer, all the way to the point where he was actually singing a song, surprisingly in the correct key but in the wrong rhythm, however that could be accomplished. _No, get away from me! Iffy, help me! _Lyrica begged, though in full honesty, were you expecting something or someone to answer her? The Phantom grabbed her neck and made her look directly in his eyes, and from that split second, 5pb. heard the discreet vocals of "Dust in the Breeze."

_Dust in the breeze…all we are is dust in the breeze…_

"Lyree, Lyree! Oh shit, not again!"

5pb. relapsed into that strange condition were it appeared as though she was having a seizure, prompting IF to quickly and swiftly hug her friend. 5pb. was gasping for air; her eyes rolled back into her head, and her skin grew clammy and cold. "It's okay, Lyree, it's okay. I'm here, everything's fine," IF whispered into the idol's ear. In just a few short seconds that felt like hours, Lyrica passed out, her guitar lying on the ground, with one of the strings unfortunately ripped off. IF shook her head.

"What the flying hell? She's was normal just a moment ago!"

Still, no matter how IF thought about it, it was clear that Lyrica was not going to wake up anytime soon, meaning IF had to carry her (and her belongings) back to their bedroom (okay, okay, I'll tell them. IF says that they don't share the same bed), allowing her the rest needed for the landmass. IF sat down in a chair and looked at the idol.

"That's not right. Twice in less than three days…What the hell is wrong with you, Lyree?" IF questioned. Sighing, she left the room, hoping to get herself, along with 5pb., something to eat. IF prayed that Lyrica will be fine on the landmass, but at this rate, she wondered if those injuries were doing this.

* * *

"Uni? Are you in here? It's me, Nepgear."

Nepgear was knocking on Uni's door, realizing that she accidentally packed her handheld gaming console with Uni's belongings (don't ask me how, it just happens in Hyperdimension Neptunia). She received a chirp from her sis that she wanted to play an online match in that sick new racing game set in the future (Nepgear was always unimpressed by it), and time was running out for little miss Candidate, for once a certain time has passed, Neptune will freak out substantially, or just go and eat some food; whichever one you prefer. While she had no proof that Uni had it, she wanted to make some form of excuse to hang out with her best friend. It gets lonely out on the sea.

However, what she heard inside the room shocked her greatly. Just like a certain Heroine of Justice, Uni apparently was crying, as evident by the muffled sounds of sobbing. _Goodness, what's wrong? I need to get this door open!_

"Uni? Uni, what's the matter?" Nepgear begged, slightly knocking harder, hoping to stir some attention in the room. She still heard the sobbing, and it appeared that Uni was either not hearing her, or deliberately ignoring her pleas; Lastation citizens were always stubborn like that (just look at Kei). "Uni, please open the door! Goodness, at least tell me what's wrong!"

Down the hallway came Noire, who was busy playing with a yo-yo (it was totally not a gift from Neptune; What gave you that impression?) to overhear anything coming from her little sister's room. When Nepgear noticed her, she turned her grievances to the CPU herself. "Miss Noire, please help! Uni locked the door and she's crying and-"

Noire simply walked on by, whistling now in order to drown out Planeptune's Candidate. Feeling the sense that she was, without a doubt, completely ignored like an ass, Nepgear suddenly grew furious. "Goodness, Noire, I know that trick! Why are you ignoring me? Your sis is crying in there, and you won't help me?"

Noire stopped in her tracks and scoffed. "Why should I? She doesn't want to help me, so I don't want to help her." With that, the CPU continued on her way, though it was shortlived as Nepgear intervened.

"Noire, please stop this argument! Uni didn't mean it, and I should be given most of the fault. Please, Noire, that's your sister in there, crying for who knows why!" Nepgear begged, almost ready to get down on her knees if she had to. Heh, even if she did do that, Noire would probably pass her off, anyways, for Noire continued to walk on down that hallway.

"Yeah, who cares, hm? She apparently wanted to hang out with you more than help me, so why do I even have to be here? Besides, a true Lastation CPU Candidate wouldn't cry at anything, no matter how terrible the circumstances are. It's one of our motto's, just so you know," Noire explained, before finally leaving Nepgear's sights. While it was rare for this specific Candidate to ever get completely angry, Nepgear was ready to transform and smack some sense into Lastation's Goddess, but right now, she had to focus on the depressed Uni.

Going back to the door, Nepgear said "Uni, please! Don't make me burst down this door!" Nepgear yelled, trying but ultimately failing to sound threatening. Uni continued to cry on the other side, but in a sudden turn of events, the crying grew closer, and pretty soon the door's handle was being turned, and as it opened, Nepgear saw the wreck that was Uni. No, no, she wasn't completely destroyed by her tears, but she looked extremely sickly, with her eyes a beat red (redder than before, I guess), her skin paler than before, and her hair slightly disheveled. She looked at Nepgear with sad eyes, her mouth still quivering as sniffels were still being produced. A lone tear drove its way down her left cheek.

"What's…what's up, Nepgear?" Uni said, trying to sound normal, though being in a depressed mood got that picture completely removed. Nepgear felt terrible seeing her friend like this, and as quick as a lightning bolt, Nepgear hugged Uni as hard as she could. "H-Hey, what's this for?"

"Goodness Uni, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Is it something Noire did?" Nepgear asked, stroking Uni's hair carefully and gently. Uni winced at this, but she didn't bother to resist; she knew that once Nepgear wanted to hug something, she will never, ever, let go.

"I-I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just leave me alone right now. Yeah, I guess it involves Noire, but not-"

"Uni, what is going on between you two? I hate seeing you like this! I'll help in any way possible," Nepgear interjected. Not enjoying being interrupted, Uni frowned, but still surprisingly found comfort in Nepgear's warm embrace. N-Not that she enjoyed being hugged by her, or anything!

"Don't get involved, Nepgear! Noire gets like this when she's stressed out. It's my fault, anyways, so please, just stay out of this one, okay?" Uni demanded, though unlike her usual self, she didn't sound as intimidating when she spoke. In full honesty, it came out as more of a cry for help. She was still crying, and some of the tears bled into Nepgear's blouse, though the Planeptune Candidate didn't appear to mind.

"Uni…"

"I mean it!" Lastation's Candidate yelled, though it was muffled in Nepgear's chest. While she appeared to be getting angry, Uni actually hugged Nepgear back, and in a strange turn of events, Uni began to cry harder. Nepgear was shocked at this, never really seeing Uni actually cry (a single tear would occasionally appear at times, but never a full-fledge barrage like this), but nonetheless she held her friend tight. She wanted Uni to release all of it, hoping that she would feel better after all of this. She just wanted the regular Uni to come back, wanting to hang out with her like the good ol' days.

"T-Thank you, Nepgear," Uni whispered, feeling embarrassed that this happened to her in front of Nepgear, though these feelings were soon overwritten by her friend's warmth. Uni was just glad that Nepgear would never tell anyone about this. Right? Right?

"Anytime, Uni. Please, I know you don't want me involved in this, but never hesitant to come talk to me. I never want to see you cry!" Nepgear said, smiling cheerfully to the other Candidate, who actually smiled back, knowing that she did not want to protest like she usually did. After hugging one more time, Nepgear went on down the hall while Uni went over to her dresser, hoping to fix her figure after that depressing episode.

Her window, located adjacent to the bed, gave a nice view of the fading Gamindustri, which was quickly becoming shrouded within the heavy mist from Leanbox's harbors. In fact, Leanbox was the only landmass truly visible, with the other nations far off in the distance. Uni noticed the view from her mirror, and clearing out her watery eyes, she decided to look out towards the distance; towards the one place she can call her own.

While Leanbox remained the only landmass visible to the naked eye, there was still a relic of the one of the landmasses, high above the clouds. Her own home, Lastation, a land that she grew slowly to despise, still had some sort of existence this far out in the sea. It was hard to make out from the mighty clouds of yonder, but Uni's eyes were trained to focus heavily on certain objects, I think.

"I-it's…the light?" she said to herself as a faint glow protruded high above Gamindustri. Indeed, high above the world was an heavily lit bulb, shining the brightest Blue you can ever picture. Even this far out from Gamindustri, the light still looked as powerful as ever, almost as if the Heroines were still within the boundaries of the landmasses themselves. It was located within the border of both Planeptune and Leanbox, standing nearly two miles high above the planet, so that all nations can see it. Even Lowee, the northernmost continent, was allowed to see the light as clear as day, even though Lowee can barely make out Planeptune from certain parts of its nation.

The light was built in 1856, commissioned not by the Lastation family, but by the people of Inoch Benio Mater, the direct predecessors of Lastation. Once electricity became mainstream, I.B.M quickly embraced it, the first nation to start becoming modernized. However, this was still during the era of Feudal Gamindustri, and so every nation, old and new, was at war with one another, constantly trying to take over the land. Grey Heart VI was the ruler of I.B.M at the time, and was one of the very few that actually just wanted peace. Thus, while the other nations fought for land, Lady Grey Heart quickly built this monumental tower, the light bulb appearing right on top, so everyone could see it. In her logic, the light could be seen from everywhere, meaning that all of the warring Goddesses could at least unite over something. Strangely enough, it worked somewhat, as the amount of battles quickly dropped, the only major conflict being the dreaded Second Polygonal War, but that was due solely to a deranged White Heart.

After the Grey Hearts died out in circumstances much too painful to explain, The Black Hearts made sure to keep the tower alive, and it was pivotal in the development of the Great Restoration Truce of 1983, which lead to our current era. However, while still a national relic for everyone, the tower soon was forgotten by the general public, and it has dilapidated over time. However, Uni instantly fell in love with the tower, feeling as though it meant plenty in the long run. Unlike everyone else, who appeared to have forgotten the whole point of the tower, Uni still remembers the symbolism it held, and whenever she felt sad, she always found herself near it. Often, she found herself reaching for the bright light high in the heavens, as though the light provided some form of sanctuary.

Especially now, when she was constantly dealing with this blasted feeling of horrid sadness. Often, she found herself over in Planeptune, hanging out with Nepgear, or perhaps she was forced to work her ass off with the hundreds of paperwork that the share loss brought upon her. Still, no matter where she was or what the situation happened to be, she found herself always reaching for it, usually when she was alone. Nepgear did watch her do it once, but she didn't know what it was about, nor did she bother Uni with questioning it. For now, it was Uni's own secret as to why she did it.

"Can I see it this far out?" Uni questioned, wondering if the light will actually appear out on the gigantic land of Lan16. The light continued to glow through the fog, blinking on occasion as it remained the only relic anyone could actually make out. She kept her palm on the window of the room, another tear coming down from her eye. She began to wonder how this whole adventure will go with Noire, wondering if she was going to be angry with her throughout the whole trip. Will she do anything to her? Will Noire finally snap at her completely? Uni knew that it was all her fault that Noire was acting like this; her sister was usually only hard on her, but with this blasted shortage and their powers running out exponentially, Noire just can't catch a break. She had every right to yell in poor Uni's face, unfortunately.

And with that thought, Uni began thinking about Nepgear, one of her few "true" friends. She wanted to be with Nepgear right now, sure, but at the same time, she began hating the purple-haired candidate. It wasn't for any reason that could be considered horrific, but at this time, she didn't want to get Nepgear involved. It was mostly due to Lastation's cherished pride, but it also reflected her feelings of not wanting Nepgear getting hurt, in case Noire's destined (to her it was destined) collapse brought pain to everyone around Uni. That was something Nepgear never should deserve, and no matter how this whole event plays out, Uni will make sure that Nep will not be hurt. No matter what the cost was in the end.

"D-Don't take this the wrong way, Nepgear, but I'm not letting you get involved in this. I won't let Noire hurt you, and I _certainly _won't hurt you!" Uni randomly shouted, before feeling quite embarrassed, hoping no one heard that proclamation. "D-Dammit! Need to keep my mouth shut sometimes…"

* * *

She eventually decided to walk by her current bed and lay down upon it, burying her head within the soft pillow. If she took the time to listen, she would be able to hear the strange noise coming from below the room.

You see, below the room was a rather massive storage area, filled with everything the Captain, the crew, and even the heroines felt was necessary for the trip. However, everything was fastened down, so the only noise that could be heard usually was an object that randomly fell from time to time. So, when a strange noise such as the silent but still potent boot hitting the ground played out, it was clear that it was indeed unusual. Within the room, against the darkened lighting effects only possibly with the new technology, was a strange figure, wearing some strange sort of baggy pants and a classy tube-top, though no one could see that from behind, for she was covered in a shawl-like cloak reminiscent of a certain species of rat. I guess I should announce this person, so without further ado, let me get a drumroll…

Linda, a.k.a by pretty much everyone (including ASIC sometimes) Underling.

Why on Gamindustri was she on this particular boat? Was she going to slaughter the entire party in their sleep? Was she going to spread the news of ASIC over at the new land? Was she going to the new land to make a new image of herself? Well, my friends, while all of those were good answers, I am afraid that none of them were correct. You must remember that while Linda was pretty much an ass, she was still pretty loyal in some regards to her partner-in-crime, the nefarious Pirachu, that strange-looking mouse who had a crush on Compa, because in full honesty, who doesn't? I even think Arfoire-

This fact comes into play because just two weeks ago, Linda found that Pirachu was nowhere to be found, and pretty soon, disturbing letters written in a substance disturbingly similar to blood were constantly sent to her, telling her that in order to get Pirachu back, she would have to set foot on the land "…of your demise, possibly, though don't make that persuade you to not come. We have great food!" It took her some time, but she found out that the land was that strange place out at sea, only accessible via one of these boats, which she happened to board at the same time as our heroes. Her presence being on the same boat as our heroes was merely a huge coincidence, as she still had no idea at this point.

"Dammit, Pirachu, how the hell do you get kidnapped? Man, can't leave him alone for five seconds, can I?" Linda droned on, sitting on a box as she thought, staring at her boots as pissed feelings flew through her. Seriously, how did Pirachu manage to get himself kidnapped? He was fully capable of fighting and defending himself, so these freaks must be super-tough; no one has ever defeated either of them! Besides the heroes, again and again and again and…

"Fuck them," Linda mumbled, ready to flex out her hands when she realized the worst thing possible. Her trademark weapon, the beautiful scythe, was nowhere to be found on her person (odd how she didn't notice). Apparently, her scythe was still tucked underneath that tree she commonly slept under, where she usually got into contact with the spirit of a known soul in fanfictions not even published by this author (relax, permission granted). "Oh, what the-" she began to say as soon as the realization kicked, before she saw above her the worst thing in her life.

Above her was a small opening, presumably for a sort of access into the room. It was located right near the entrance to the outside of the boat, located within the hallway. This was the only light that appeared in the room, and since Linda just noticed it, she felt nearly blinded by it, though she still decided to look up. Besides not actually seeing underwear as she would have expected, she saw the body of Blanc with her two little sisters, standing above a small cover that had many holes, allowing Linda to see them all in complete terror. For one, since when did these characters actually wear pants, and two…well, we'll let Linda describe her reaction.

_Oh, what the flying fuck?_

Making sure she couldn't be seen, she chose to stand on a box on the other side of the room and look through another cover, one that was now out on the outside of the boat, now seeing essentially all of the most-loathed characters this side of critics, including all of the Goddesses and their Goddamn human accomplices. Not only were they wearing pants (seriously, that was an invention in Gamindustri, IF not counted?), but every, single, one of them were present on the ship. "Damn, why are they here?" she groaned, keeping her voice quiet. Should she do something? Should she try and escape, or go on and even attempt to freaking _kill _them? She could have actually waited till nightfall in order to slash their throats, knowing full well that they will be vulnerable, but because of her negligence, she wasn't even allowed to do that. Seriously, Linda, what on Gamindustri?

But enough of figuring out what they were doing on this ship (that will come later); why were they all on deck, looking to the west? It seemed weird from Linda's perspective, though she couldn't necessarily judge from the storage room. "Oh god, this is going to be fun. Just hang in there, Pirachu, we'll get these bit-"

"Look guys! See, there really is a freakishly huge dragon flying around the ship!" shouted Neptune, at least that was what Linda thought; Time to escape Watson mode and go back into changing between characters in a standard third-person perspective.

Noire looked up at the sky, awestruck by the terrifying creature that literally rose from the sea. It screeched and roared, glowing in the sunlight as it sprayed fire all around the ship, though not on the ship directly. The Goddesses all assumed attack position along with the humans, ready to defend the boat with their lives (5pb. was of course absent). "Crap, what the flying hell is this? Is it from that Landmass?" Noire asked, completely terrified beyond her wits. Neptune raised her fist into the air.

"Dontcha see, Noirey? This is the first boss of the game, so while it looks humongous and deadly, it'll probably die in about five phases or so. Come on, let's kick its pituatary gland!" Neptune shouted, readying her sword as everyone gave her a facepalm. Linda could only watch in horror, realizing that if that thing was common on the Landmass, she was as good as dead.

Out of nowhere, an even bigger dragon flew from the Lan16 landmass and swooped dangerously close to the boat. Everyone assumed that this would be a double-feature boss, but instead, the bigger dragon snatched the smaller one with its monstrous jaws, and carried it off into the far-off flat mountains, never to be seen again. Everyone's jaws were on the floor, everyone not entirely sure as to what to do next. "That was awesome," both Neptune, Blanc, Ram, and Falcom said in perfect unison. The rest responded in unison: "That was terrifying."

The boat was able to successfully traverse through the flames, and pretty soon the ship was back on its course, though everyone onboard were freaked out of their minds. Linda was actually considering staying in the boat and riding back home, though she knew she had a mission that could not be failed; less she wanted Pirachu to die. The rest of the heroes all retreated back to their rooms to collect their thoughts. Vert probably summed up everyone's feelings rather nicely, echoing both Linda and IF as she stood watching the waves brushing the ship.

"This is going to be splendid, don't you think?"

* * *

**WHY DID SHE DO IT?**

How such a disturbing mistake caused the destruction of the Ancient land

It has been exactly three months today that Lady Turbo has accepted Ghost's work into the mainstream world of Lan16, and already you can see the various benefits that he had brought on with his wondrous creations. Once upon a time, this nation was plagued with the onslaught of unique diseases that many just gave up on curing, diseases that not even Supendo ever encountered. With the acceptance of Ghost and his medicine being promoted to every district around, sickness in Lan16 dropped by a full 85%, making it now the healthiest landmass in all of Gamindustri. Ghost's workshop soon expanded, and the man once reviled by pretty much all the higher-ups was now considered one of the pack. It was all truly glorious to him, to see his work bring the life and health to the great nation, as well as always seeing that smiling face from the cool Lady Turbo.

However, there was indeed one thing that Ghost had a problem with; he was the only medicine man in all of Lan16, possibly the entirety of Gamindustri. Sure, he had special workers who delivered materials to him, but other than that, it was just Ghost and his work, meaning that some people farther out in the landmass had to wait for extended periods of time before cures could be granted, sometimes with the wait being too long for a life to sustain. In addition, with fame of course being brought on from all this, many have already tried to steal Ghost's journals and make their own medicine for profit; some have even gone so far as to try and slip some poison into his meals, though all proven unsuccessful. He was vulnerable, and simply just one person making medicine is not enough in the end.

These grievances were soon brought up to the Goddess herself, who completely understood when he arrived that faithful morning to ask for two specific things. One, understandably, was for some security at his office; the other was for an apprentice.

"Lady Turbo, please forgive my unexpected showing, but I must ask for something, in case you do not mind," Ghost asked humbly, bowing in respect to his leader. Lady Turbo placed her fine, delicate wine down (because that's what rich people drank back then, apparently) and walked over to the medicine man, raising her arm out into the air.

"My friend, it is not required of you to be so formal in front of me. You have done much more to this nation than any of us in this Basilicom have hoped to achieve. Please, what is it that you inquire, Ghost?" Turbo spoke in a higher language. Ghost looked up, feeling slightly out of place in the delicate building (everyone wore fancy clothes, while he wore a business suit. Classy), and assumed a stance similar to a guard, holding his hands behind his back and raising his chin. He knew that he didn't have to be so formal, but in front of Turbo, was there truly another option? Especially when she referred to him by his strange name; seriously, Ghost?

"My Lady-"

"Please, Turbo is fine, Ghost," Turbo intervened smiling, Ghost broke his stance to scratch his head.

"Um, Turbo, you probably have heard how my shop has been multiple times almost robbed by goons who want my secret recipe's, correct?"

Turbo thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. "Yes, I have heard of that through word of mouth. Shall I install security for your building, perhaps?" Turbo questioned, looking at him as though she read his mind. Indeed she had, for Ghost lit up like a lightbulb inside a dark, dankly shed. Hey, I'm still practicing my similes, okay?

"Y-Yes, that would be perfect! No one would be able to get through the guards of Lan16! As long as they don't block everyone out, then that sounds like a marvelous plan," Ghost answered in delight, though he soon became bashful once more. "Um, but you do not have to go out of your way to do it if you have other, more important things to handle, my lady-er, Turbo. I do not want to be a bother-"

Turbo laughed. "Oh, dear little Ghost, I wonder if I should feel happy that you saved my nation from a possible ruin, or feel slightly vexed that you left me with little to do now. We are currently leading in advances in technology against the other landmasses, and since we are in a time of peace, there is no reason to strengthen the army at this time, leaving me to just sit here until the next Celestial Meeting. We would not be in this peaceful advancement if you have not introduced yourself to me; you know this, correct?"

Ghost looked up at her, looking rather sheepish. "Well, you know…" he said, trying to hide his embarrassment, though in retaliation he sounded roughly like an ass. Inside his mind, however, his pride was only brewing. _My lady has fully praised me! I feel so wondrous and powerful! Oh, how her beauty is only exemplified from this very meeting; how glorious! But, what did she mean by the Celestial Meeting? Are there that many mysteries with these Goddesses that I have yet to discover? Oh, I must know, but that will have to wait for the time being…_

"Now, do not worry about wasting my time over this. I believe you deserve some form of defense after all you have done. I believe I heard you say you were requesting two things?" Lady Turbo asked, looking at the shaggy businessman in anticipation. Ghost looked straight into her eyes and accidentally hiccupped.

"Um, er, yes, I do have to make a second request. You see, my lady, I just began working in this 'big-business' style for about a quarter of the year, and I realized that I sincerely want an apprentice."

"An apprentice?" Turbo asked, slightly shocked but more-or-less confused. Ghost shrugged and nodded.

"After working for a little bit, I realized that if something were to ever happen to me, no one will know how to create the medicine that I have designed to save this world. Sure, I have many workers that help me from time to time, but no one accurately has any interest in my work! I wanted to ask you if you knew how to hire someone for apprenticeship, for I'll be honest with you…I have absolutely no clue as to where to even begin," Ghost said, looking genuinely lost in that regard. Turbo placed a hand over her chin.

"How strange is that? A fine person such as you has no basic knowledge of how to obtain someone for a job like that? Surely you know how to advertise; you were practically doing it before we discovered you!" Turbo exclaimed, now looking annoyed over this turn of events. How in the world did you not know how to advertise back in the 1940's? That just seems completely absurd.

Ghost thought for a moment, twirling the fedora in his hands, messing up the fabric (he was unaware of this), figuring out that he kind of was stupid in regards to this. Advertising; was it really that simple? _Eh, if it works, and coming from the Goddess herself, I might as well do this._

"Huh, never thought of that. Okay, my lady-"

"Again, just call me Turbo, Ghost."

"T-Turbo, I'll go with your suggestion. Thank you for your time, and sorry for disturbing you," Ghost said and bowed. He was quite relieved that some support would soon show itself to him and that no more attempts at his life should be expected in the near future.

"No, thank you, my friend. It was actually nice to talk to somebody that wasn't an official once in a while," Turbo said with a smile. Ghost smiled back, though unlike her noble and kind smile that touched the hearts of many a civilian, his was actually disgusting, for the lack of a better word.

To spoil it for you, it was actually surprisingly easy to find an apprentice, for just a little bit after that meeting; a young chap from the landmass of Supendo appeared in Lan16, fresh out of the highest university in all of Gamindustri. He practically taught the medicine class there, impressing his colleagues and instructor when he invented the wondrous invention known as magic grass, which many an adventure has used to heal their minor wounds after a rough battle. He was told to continue his lessons over at Lan16, for many have reported that a man was dominating the world with his own remedies, and this young lad will fit in just fine there (it was actually illegal for people in Supendo to say things like that, for if the Goddess discovered that you said that, then a beheading will surely occur. Yes, beheadings were still a reality back then. They will at least be abolished by the reformations of 1983).

This young man was named Peter Marioj, just a bit over 18, who, like many at his age, desperately wanted to get going with their career, in order to prove to society that they truly fit in Gamindustri. You must realize, readers, that video games were just beginning, looking like tiny decimals and squares trying to shoot one another, and requiring a _lot_ of imagination in order to get involved. Mr. Marioj was not one of those people that enjoyed electronics, so medicine was his major accomplishment in life, and dammit, he was going to land his apprenticeship somehow! The landmass took him off-guard, looking pretty old-fashioned for even the 40's, leaving him to wonder if his future teacher could even be located here. He was completely ready to blow this rumor of a talented man way off his mind when he notice that gigantic neon sign hanging over a rather medium-sized building.

Ghost didn't even have to write any form of advertisement with weasel words and those weird looking people that always smile the exact way (Every. Single. Time), as Peter Marioj showed up at his doorstep rather quickly. They talked about medicine, about how Ghost never had to attend a single seminar (making Peter slightly pissed) in his life, and how magic grass truthfully revolutionized the world. After showing Ghost his diploma and pretty much all the records and journals Peter had created during his medicine-creating days, it was clear that this was the Apprentice Ghost wanted.

After a couple of days, Peter officially received his citizenship for Lan16, and with that, he became the first, official apprentice of Ghost.

"Mr. Ghost, I just want to say that it is indeed a privilege to be working for you," Peter was saying as both of them walked down a hallway in Ghost's office. After finding out how much Ghost has truly done for Lan16, Peter was both extremely excited as much as worried to be working with the man, knowing full well that while he was pretty smart, Ghost already changed the scope of Gamindustri's health. Yeah, magic grass is a cool thing, but in comparison…

Ghost laughed. "My dear boy, must we use the speak of formalities? I do not believe 'Mr.' fits my name rather well, so you may simply refer to me as Ghost, if you please. We will be working day and night together, so we might as well speak like friends," the businessman said. Peter was still awestricken over how a man who dressed like one of those annoying sales-guys trying to sell you products that simply did not work could be such an expert on the field of medicine, to the point that everyone in town adored him.

"Y-Yes, Mr…I mean, Ghost. I hope we'll get along great, and I hope that I will not slow you down," Peter said, pretty nervous as this was his first day on the job. While Ghost did look clumsy, he did indeed look like the smartest person Pete had ever seen, even smarter than his University Instructor. Ghost laughed again.

"My, you surely are nervous! Do not fret, my boy, you are indeed one of the smarter chaps I have ever met in my life. Slowing me down just appears to be highly unlikely, for many of your notes are close to perfection, and at such an early start, too! There are of course flaws here and there, but even I create mistakes! I will help you iron-out these errors, and pretty soon we will both be on the same level!" Ghost proclaimed, already showing that he was definitely taking in this leadership role full-force. Pete was still slightly nervous, but he started to calm down.

"Thank you, Ghost. That means a lot, coming from you. I hope I will be a valuable partner in your work," Peter replied, bowing to his now-master. Ghost shrugged.

"Again with the formalities. Relax for a little bit, my friend, for we have a bright future ahead of us. Soon, we shall cure all of Lan16, and eventually all of Gamindustri herself! Come now, dear Peter, let us begin our work, shall we?" Ghost asked, again acting like an ass with this new-found power. Pete left his bowing position and looked straight at his master. For a split second, he saw something that was oddly misplaced on his face; it was probably his expression, or his strange teeth, or the fact that his eyes seemed just wrong in this whole scene. Pete thought this all subconsciously, and even then that lasted for a good second, as he quickly stood and responded as though nothing occurred.

"Yes, Master Ghost! Let's!"

And that was what they did. For quite some time, the two quickly grew to know each other, as they quickly formulated dozens of plans in regards to a variety of new medicine that will be shipped soon towards the world. Even during the first few days of working together, Ghost noticed that while Peter did develop the magic grass commonly used at the time, he was more in tuned with fixing actual injuries inflicted upon a person, while he was much more accustomed to finding the cure for a variety of ailments pertaining to disease. It was a distinct parallel between the two of them, which allowed their unique thoughts to compliment, and even at times rival, one another. It was probably this that leads to the two of them becoming sincere friends with time.

"Ghost," Pete said on one fine, sunny day, "What's that up there? That strange light."

Both were just about to open shop for the day when Peter asked this. Ghost, who was carrying a rather heavy box, looked at him confused, before turning his head towards where Peter happened to be gazing at. Indeed, above the mighty thicket of trees that surrounded his factory, there was a beautiful-if-out-of-place light, small in size but brighter than the full moon at night. Ghost made a silent "oh" noise, before he placed the box gently on the carpet before the heavy doors.

"Are you telling me you never noticed that light before? I haven't been up in the Supendo Empire, but I'm pretty sure it's visible there, too. It's the mighty light of Inoch Benio Mater!"

Peter seemed to be quite alarmed by this. "I do believe I noticed it before, but I just never gave it a good look, I guess. Looked much dimmer up north, you know?" Peter rationalized. Ghost let out a heart-felt laugh, which to everyone honestly sounded like a dying goatbat, though Peter apparently got used to it by now.

Ghost flexed out his hand and appeared to be grasping towards the light, making Peter rather uncomfortable, to say the least. "Um, pardon me for asking sir, but what on Gamindustri are you doing?"

Ghost appeared to be lost in thought, but after a while (about two minutes), he appeared too had finally translated Peter's question in his head, and thus he laughed once more. "Ah, I don't know, kid. Sometimes, back in the day I was an actual salesman, I enjoyed reaching for the light, as though it was some sort of ball, you know? I only sold products within Lan16's boundaries, but whenever I saw the light, I felt as though one day, I will be able to heal the entire world, and make everything a better place. Who knows…maybe that light is destiny!" Ghost said, apparently making a joke there at the end.

Peter nodded his weird head. "I…I see. Well, that was certainly a deep answer, Ghost. Does it really mean that, or are you just making that last part up?"

Ghost looked disappointed as the joke that he was weirdly trying to make fell flat on its face. "Ah, I don't know. Oh! Look at the time, son! We better start up shop now, before the soldiers wonder if we slack off all day!" Ghost said, quickly opening the heavy doors and carrying the box in. Peter quickly followed behind him, though he still found himself looking at the light, wondering truly what it could possibly mean.

"Wait for me, Master!"

Oh, Pete…

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 88, para 2:_

"…I still fail to see the true scope of why they would even bother to create us. Did Neptunian have the right idea in knowing why we exist? He seemed to understand why Celestia acts the way it does, and though he accepted it, there was no doubt in my mind that he was always angry about it; I have no idea whether he's alive or not, but I know that this unquenchable anger for our superiors will simply follow him to his grave. And even then, what are we to do if all of our philosophies were wrong? Well, perhaps we can live our everyday lives…"


	12. PART 2: The First Step on the Landmass

Chapter 15: In Which our heroes take their first steps on…okay, it's Lan16, okay? No more possibly…

"Ladies, we have reached land!"

The captain was quite ecstatic the next morning, standing proud in the wheelhouse as he began to dock. Everyone was still asleep when he announced this, and it was quite a disturbing scene, seeing as how most of the cast were pretty groggy. I guess you couldn't blame them, considering that it was around 4 A.M, as evident by the darkened sky, calm waves, disturbing atmosphere, complete quietness…

Oh wait, it was actually closing in on 7:00 A.M. Why then, was it so completely desolate and void of life out in the world? Where was the morning sun coming to greet them over the horizon, signaling the dawn of a brand new day? This was certainly not normal in this part of the world, and if someone were to look at Gamindustri over at the southern horizon, they could at least make out some form of sunlight glowing on the mighty skyscrapers of Leanbox. Even in the dimness, the blue light was still bright as day, but that was about it for Gamindustri. Here, however, was nothing but the cool shade of black, with a small hint of orange, as though a far-off fire burned in the distance. The clouds were perfectly gray and black, rendering the landmass itself as an eternal shadow of the unknown.

"Dear Captain, I believe you have sailed these waters for quite some time, no? Tell me, is the sky normally this dark out at sea?" Vert asked the Captain as soon as she realized something was completely wrong. The Captain was forced to light up a latern in order to see the map (they do have electricity, but lanterns just created more drama for some reason), completely filled with bafflement, sailing in the same boat as Vert, both as a pun and figuratively.

"No, I have never experienced this before. I can see the sun over at Gamindustri, but for some reason, it's not shining over here. Must be these damn clouds. Never seen anything like them," the Captain stated, scratching his head. Vertlooked outside, gazing at the shadowy mass in front of her. She could make out the basic geometry of the sand and nearby trees, along with some rocks that dotted the coast, but other than that, it was completely blinding farther out inland. Weren't there lights coming from this land? If they weren't visible, then surely they were on the west side of the mass. Baffling for Vert, and baffling for everyone.

"I see. I knew this land was bizarre from the beginning, so I guess I'll just have to be careful. Apparently, we know at least one species on this island," Vert said with a slight, sarcastic quip within her voice. The Captain shrugged.

"Are you sure your needed here, Lady Green Heart? Miss Chika specifically told me that if you're harmed-"

"Yes, you'll be slaughtered like a pigvader. Relax, Captain, even if something were to happen to me, Chika will never do such a thing. She knows that I hate grievous harm upon those that don't deserve it," Vert interjected, attempting to put the Captain at ease, which at least worked on the outside, though inside he was still holding on to all of his lucky charms he gathered over the decades at sea. Kei could hurt you, Mina could stare you to oblivion, Histoire can elementally scare you, and Chika…oh dear…

"I…I see. Anyways, my lady, my crew has provided you and your party some breakfast, so please take that to your advantage. No matter what this creep wants, I'm assuming you'll be on this island for some time, so please fill yourself up before it's too late. I'm sorry that this is not the conditions that a Goddess should expect," the Captain said, once more looking at his map. Vert was just heading towards the door.

"Thank you, and honestly, I don't mind. I have to admit, I enjoy this sea-life; maybe I have found a new hobby. Tell me, will you stay here until we come back?" Vert questioned as she stood in the doorway. The Captain gave one of those NPC smiles that made Vert feel uneasy; NPC's that smile generally, well, nevermind.

"Of course, my lady; my men are fully prepared to protect this vessel at all costs! We will be here when the job is all set and done. Relax, we'll be safe!" the Captain reassured the Leanbox Goddess. He looked fully confident in his answer, and he had every right to be; decades out at sea made him a rather pleasant person when it came to orders and survival, so in every regards, Vert should have found the courage to believe in him. Sadly, over the years of being a life-long gamer, she has become increasingly genre-savvy, knowing that in this world, people were almost like the characters in a video game, and whenever a NPC said that they will be fine in the genre of horror, they were surely goners. Vert knew all-too well that this ship was a goner, but perhaps there will be a twist in the end where everyone will be okay. Oh, _that_ better be a possibility. Either way, she kept quiet about her fear, not wanting to spook the Captain any more than he already was. She bowed to him and thanked him once more, vacating the room.

The boat was relatively big, but unfortunately, there was no major dining hall, leaving the cast to have to eat in their respective rooms. It should be common knowledge who would eat in who's room and stuff, but since we have to establish certain things in this fanfiction, we shall inform you that IF was with 5pb., Nepgear ended up walking into Uni's room (no matter how much protesting was produced), Nisa was sadly alone with that newspaper, and while they aren't considered the big main characters, Neptune and Noire ate together (Again, no matter the protests). Even though it was completely dark sans the lights on the rooms (Vert and the Captain briefed the rest about the ominous sky), the atmosphere was disturbingly calm. Should it really be this calm if the end of the world was on everyone's conscious? Oh hell, how in the world should I know? I'm not paid enough for this shit.

"Hey Lyrica. Sheesh, I didn't know a person could sleep that long. Here, I got this for you," IF said, placing the dish filled with whatever breakfast the readers think 5pb. normally eats on the bed. Lyrica thanked her and grabbed the plate quickly, and before IF could even sit down, the entire meal was essentially gone. Lyrica ended up not getting dinner last night, and hell, she forgot to eat anything before the boat ride to begin with (she felt ill, and she lied to IF that she ate at least something prior to the trip), making her the hungriest person around this side of Neptune. IF was scared at that spectacle. "Hey, slow down there, Lyrica. If you eat that fast, you'll get sick. Trust me, Neptune scarred me after that waterboard incident."

Lyrica chuckled, finally swallowing the last bit of food. "Sorry, Iffy, I was just too hungry. I won't get sick, don't worry," the idol said, taking a napkin and wiping her mouth. Like Vert, IF had terrible feelings whenever someone said those words, though being that 5pb. was a major character, she might just see the end of this tale. IF took note that 5pb. was actually still shaking, at least in the hands, though she appeared to either not feel it, or chose to deliberately ignore it. IF suddenly remembered the events from yesterday, and started to grow concern for 5pb.

"Lyree, will you be okay out there? I still have no idea what this guy wants, but I'm sure it's nothing good, so I kind of don't want you to be shaking like yesterday," IF said bluntly, finally deciding to eat her food as well. Lyrica's eyes opened wide, though they immediately fell into a more somber look.

"Iffy, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I don't know what came over me. I hope I didn't worry you too much," Lyrica said, feeling pretty down right about now. IF sighed, never enjoying that feeling as though she caused a person's sadness, especially when it was Lyrica that was down. When a moe archetype was in the mood for crying, then of course everyone would probably feel the same way as IF.

"W-Well, you worried me a little too much there. B-B-But don't think it's your fault! I'm just glad that you're okay. That was pretty freaky compared to the other ones," IF stammered, trying desperately to not talk with her mouth full, though ultimately failing in the end. 5pb. was still sad about the whole situation, but when she saw Iffy's face doing that action I just recently described, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, what are you laughing for?" IF yelled, suddenly feeling herself get angry.

"I'm sorry, Iffy, but your face was just too adorable!" Lyrica squealed, putting her fists at her chin, doing that strange happy gesture that quite honestly I cannot describe any better than the way I just did. IF frowned at her, never enjoying the feeling of being laughed at (does anyone truly enjoy that feeling?), though she did have to admit that it was at least a relief. She managed to make 5pb. feel a whole lot better inadvertently.

"Well, whatever. Are you sure you're going to be okay out there? I could probably make some excuse-"

"No, Iffy, I'm fine. I can promise you that it won't happen again," 5pb. said with a smile smacked upon her face. IF shrugged, but ended up smiling as well. No matter what occurred out there, be it 5pb. going through another one of those spasms or Neptune somehow getting her hand stuck in a cookie jar, IF will make sure everyone was accounted for. She will defend 5pb. with her life, and make sure that this horrendous being of a man will be brought to justice, though she was more-or-less gearing for hell , IF, I'll tell them. She's only protecting 5pb. because she is her friend, and because Epica told her to. Okay? If you don't buy it, I might be dead by noon.

"Oh," 5pb. suddenly said, reaching into her pocket, pulling out that delightful lyric sheet courtesy of the marvelous pen of IF, "I'm glad this is still here. IF, this song is fantastic!"

IF moaned. "I'm sorry, but even for me, it was too dark. I don't know; you could record it if you like, but I would just skip it. It's too basic, anyways," the brunette said, finishing off the last of her breakfast. 5pb. pouted to her friend.

"Iffy, I'll admit that these lyrics are slightly…depressing, but I think that's what makes it perfect. Iffy, never say your songs are bad. To me and everyone who heard them, you're a lyrical genius!" Lyrica praised, getting all happy once more. She eventually noticed the guitar lying right next to her, prompting her to pick it up and start playing the notes again. She had to admit that she was starting to grow afraid, knowing that she saw that Phantom creep the last time she played this, but she shrugged it off, and she found peace when that vision failed to apparate before her.

IF was still happy deep down for that piece, but she didn't dare share it with the abstract world. "Eh, I mean, it's nothing at all worth praising. I'm going to take a shower now; we'll be leaving soon. I guess just bring whatever you need when we head out," IF said, bowing to her friend before heading out. Left alone, strumming that guitar once more, thinking about what they were about to be put through. Would it be rough, or would the journey be a smooth course? Would her friends be safe and together, or would this forbidden landmass end them all, along with the various souls that have sailed here to no return? She was feeling restless, but at the same time determined, ready to fight any creature that stands before her, ready to defend her friends, especially IF, with the power of her elaborate-yet-deadly music.

Yet at the same time, she started remembering the crowds at the concert; all of those smoking, little lowlifes. She realized that she was, in a way, defending them as well, preparing to give her own life for those that caused her so much grief. Was she really going to save a world filled with druggies that reach no end? What happens when they finally finish this stupid thing, and are allowed to return home? Will she have to play in stupid, live concerts in front of people who could barely retain the knowledge of the difference between their hand and face, forcing her to once more retreat back into the studio in shame? Her friends are worth all of this, but the crowds of Leanbox and all of Gamindustri…Was she really going to save them, knowing that they are all stubborn fools who think that smoking is the best way to listen to her fucking music? Oh, fuck them all. What the flying fuck do they all mean by the fucking end? Are they really all that fucking dumb fuck I mean fuck-

_Dust in the Breeze…_

_ I got to stop thinking about them. No matter what, the world needs to be saved, even if it is…for them._

With that, to play in silence, getting geared up for her own shower, and eventually, the fourth/fifth/sixth/whenever entry to this weird series.

* * *

Just as IF left for the shower, two Candidates were getting fully prepared for the operation ahead. Uni, as always, came prepared with what had to be 20 rifles and machine guns (even a magnum, for some reason), along with a pack containing around 5,000 generic bullets, because I do _not _want to describe each bullet type. came with a couple of swords, and because she confirmed her love for gunnery to her tsundere friend, she too came packed, though only with a standard pistol (She did have a sawed-off shotgun, but she didn't want to waste it-wait, a sawed-off shotgun? What the goodness, Nepgear!). This journey will be dangerous, no matter what The Phantom said, so that thought at least justified their over-preparedness, though Uni will admit that she at least wanted to "bang" herself an exotic animal, which truthfully scared Nepgear (Uni wanted to hang it over her wall, which will surely keep Nepgear out of there).

"All ready, Uni?" Nepgear asked, placing a fresh magazine into the handgun, hoping she never will use it in real life. Uni was cleaning out a machine-gun's barrel, getting her recently-cleaned hands dirty in the process. Nepgear always admired her lover for guns, loving the care she gave to even her weakest arms, including the ones that will never see the light of combat in its history. It inspired Nepgear to take better care of her own weapons, causing pretty much all of her weapons in her cache to be sharp and squeaky clean. Still, she wanted peace, not war. I guess it's always brilliant to be a jack-of-all-trades in certain fields.

Uni finished cleaning out the barrel, aiming down her sights at the window of the room. "Yeah, pretty much. I highly doubt I need all of these, but screw it. If any dumb creature dares to come at me, I'll blast their head off!"Uni proclaimed, slapping her chest in fulfillment, getting gun-grease on her dress. Nepgear was not one for blasting helpless creature-heads clean off their necks, but Uni looked pretty sure of herself, so she did not complain. The sky outside was still brisk and desolate, and Nepgear was never truly fond of the dark (she wasn't afraid of it, but she didn't approve of its existence, either), but she knew that in order to get through this, they will most likely have to traverse the endless night. She prayed that there will not be a single lightning storm while they were out in the wild, for if Uni were to be caught in that, as well as it being extremely dark, she would simply die right there, and Nepgear was not going to allow that.

"Are _you_ ready, Nepgear? I don't want to be waiting around for you while everyone else is prepared!" Uni yelled, wagging her finger at her friend, a common symptom of being a smiled, raising one of her swords at eye-level, looking at the precious steel shine in front of her. Unlike her other adventures, she chose to wear a slightly different variation of her outfit, which mostly looked the same, but with an added armor point and, most shockingly, pants. The same story was with Uni, with the decision causing this writer to hide behind a table as arrows were shot down by raging fans. Pants…in their HyperdimensionNeptunia? Oh, come on, IF wears them! Cut me some slack, guys…

"All set, Uni. I just hope this ends soon. I don't like the looks of this landmass," Nepgear said, looking away from the window, in case a classic horror-movie trope occurred and a zombie head appeared through the nodded, placing her black gloves on, ready to kick some ass if necessary.

"Good. I want this over and done with, too. Lastation needs me and Noire there, so we got to get cracking!" Uni yelled, taking her machine gun and lifting it in the air (Nepgear held her down, afraid that Uni might accidentally press the trigger, but she was glad that she didn't) in victory and determination. Nepgear still gave Uni the offer for Planeptune to aid them, but Uni insisted Noire would never accept that alliance, so until the day comes where Lastation finally breaks their stubbornness, Uni and Noire have to be back there as soon as Goddessly possible. All of those sentences I just said rang once more in Nepgear's mind, as she recalled her confrontation with Uni last night, wondering if Uni was still mad and depressed over that stupid argument.

"I just want to make sure, Uni, there is absolutely nothing you want to talk about right now? I mean, I'll be happy to talk about anything. Honestly!" Nepgear asked, making such an adorable smile, paired up with her sparkling eyes of want and wanting-to-help. Uni, while turned away from the purple-haired candidate, still felt that strange face, and while she felt as though she wanted to open up whatever was on her mind (apparently there was still plenty left inside there), she still had to keep her personality as a tsundere on the frontline.

"Nepgear, I'm happy that you want to help, but please, just stay out of this. What happened last night shouldn't have happened, okay? You made me cry in your chest for Pete's sake; don't think anything else about that, you dummy! I just…don't think it's that important for you to just jump in, you know?" Uni said, angry at first, before the ember within her heart slowly burnt out into mixed feelings of longing and sadness, and overall confusion to top it all off. She grabbed her trusted machine gun and bullet pack, ready to set out to the top deck and disembark from this boring ship.

However, before she did leave, she decided to look out the window, looking towards the light once more. Even in the clouded darkness of hell itself, Uni could still make out the magnificence of the beautiful light, shinning brighter than any star in the world. It seemed to have grown even brighter than before, though that was probably due to the cloudy and desolate atmosphere. Uni just stared out at it, barely moving a muscle, her face growing placid as the light shimmered beautifully in the distance. Nepgear looked at her confused. "What's wrong, Uni? I-Is there a spider on the window? Goodness, they always scare me!" Nepgear said, suddenly recalling a moment in the past where a spider thing leaped out and bit her finger. Those blasted things…

Uni apparently ignored her best friend, deciding instead to place her hand delicately on the window. "Oh…heh…" Uni just seemed to randomly say, most likely breathing heavily to the point of accidentally generating words. She just stared at the light, and the light stared back. It was as if two lovers stared across a bay, knowing that the other was looking right back at them. It was creepy, but was still rather adorable. Still, it made poor Nepgear quite confused of the whole idea, and without a moment's hesitation, she found herself drawn to Uni's apparent trace.

It was then that Nepgear noticed what she was looking at. "Are you looking at the light, Uni? Wow, I can't believe you can see it this far out," Nepgear said, watching the light dim, then suddenly come back to life in a spectacular fashion. It was probably the most uninteresting thing you can ever imagine, but it was still shocking to see it against the pure black of the darkened sky.

Uni finally turned to her friend. "Of course I am. Just…um, feeling home-sick, I guess?" Uni randomly pondered, with Nepgear knowing that it was an adorable lie. Considering the fact that all hell was breaking loose on her landmass, Nepgear would actually find it strange if Uni_wanted _to be back home. Still, different strokes for different folks, I guess. Uni probably wouldn't have listened to Nepgear if she called her out on it, anyways, for the little Candidate retreated from the window, returning the bag of her belongings to her hand, and started to head for the door.

Nepgear was ready to vocalize pretty much what she said last night, but she ended up keeping quiet; Uni did not look like she was in the mood to talk. _Stupid! You know Uni would yell at you if you asked that! I just hope this argument's resolved by the time we leave. I hate to see those two fight, _Nepgear thought, once more looking down in shame. Sadly, she should _not _have looked up until Uni had fully left the room, as when she did, she seriously wanted to gasp. No, fine readers, it was not yet another cameo from the man himself, simply gazing and laughing at the idiotic heroes in their idiotic boat. Oh no, it was something far, more worse than that.

Uni held the door as she left the room, leaving her hand and most of the wrist exposed to the sight of Nepgear, and when she observed that wrist, she grew tremendously frightened. She couldn't confirm it, and she certainly wouldn't even confirm if she even looked at Uni correctly, but she could have sworn there were marks present on that frail wrist. Nepgear never had to encounter those type of marks before (Everyone she came to know were rather happy and kind, unless they were simply masking their true feelings), but she knew when to identify them as the worst lesions imaginable. They were going down a straight line, most puffy and pink, while others were still pretty red, as though they were fresh. Before she could analyze anything any further, Uni left the room completely, leaving Nepgear alone with her thoughts.

_Oh no, Uni, please tell me…please tell me you're not doing that. Oh, Goodness, Uni, please…_

* * *

As those two candidates left their room, Nisa was getting fully prepared as well. She had her trusted Heroine outfit on (can't be in a game without it), her lovely, high-level prinny gun in one hand, her LSPD-certified handgun in the other, and her prinny backpack fully prepared, in case some items were to be carried during their small journey. While the others were still in mid-contemplation over whether or not this Phantom guy was evil or not, Nisa made up her mind, knowing full-well that The Phantom is one dangerous felon that must be apprehended. Sure he might be trying to help them, but if he is terrible enough to make even the stoic Kei break, then surely his crimes from the past are still in full effect today. Nisa hopes that once this event is over, and the world will certainly not end in the given weeks, she will be able to arrest the man, and bring down upon him the mighty hand of justice he most certainly deserves, his fate residing only in the collected thoughts of the Oracles themselves. Yes, that will most certainly be it! Once that's done, then she can go back home and finally end this murderous case!

"All right, no more fooling around!The Phantom might think he's in control, but once he encounters the Heroine of Justice, he will surely tremble beneath the mighty Hammer of righteousness!"Nisa shouted to practically no one, raising her fist in the air, that scarf of hers somehow blowing in the wind while the window was closed tightly. She'll redeem herself once this man is done in her life, and she will not be stopped by anything until The Phantom is locked away in the farthest and darkest depths of hell.

_Oh, that reminds me…should I notify Whelps now?_

She had the police transceiver in her pocket, Whelps's number directly on speed-dial (do they have speed-dials? Let's hope so), who was probably at the station, waiting at his desk for that fateful call. By now, he was probably worried sick, though she told him numerous times that the Heroine of Justice will always shine a light through the darkest depths of crime, always prevailing like the underdog that she was. Still, knowing him, he would probably still think of her as merely a child, and that was simply no good by her standards.

"All right, Whelps, guess I got to put you at ease," Nisa decided, pulling out the transceiver from her pocket, quickly writing Whelps's number down, and began humming to herself as the device attempted to make a long-range connection. It took quite a while, and for a moment there, she was assuming there will be no notifying on this landmass, but eventually the familiar hum of the police line rang up, and on the other line, Whelps was driving his car, still looking like the middle-aged 40's man that he appeared to be.

"Whelps, is that you? Over."

"Nis? Oh, thank the Polygonal Gods. Is everything okay? Where are you now? Over," Whelps asked, stunned to hear the childish voice of the girl that he had to admit sounded pretty annoying (no offense to her; that's his thoughts, not mine). Nisa smiled, glad that she got the connection all the way out on this landmass. At least she now knew that it was possible to keep contact between the two landmasses; that will make things so much easier.

"Yep, it's me, partner. Currently, we are just about ready to leave the ship and bring peace to this landmass. Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking. Over," Nisa said, with a slight snark at the end there. Whelps detected this, feeling slightly angry for some reason, as though that line was to poke fun at him, or something.

"That's good to hear, Nis. So far I have no leads on this case, but apparently we discovered another body, located just outside the remnants of Arfoire's factory. From what I have heard, it's the same story-"

"Supine position, arms rather too skinny, body dehydrated, teeth horribly disfigured, face seared…the only thing that doesn't add up is…did you say the remnants of Arfoire's factory? Over."

"Don't interrupt Nis; you know how these things act. Anyways, yeah, all of those, but the factory is in the north, with everything being in the southern region. Who knows, maybe this ass chose to attack in an unique location, over," Whelps answered, swerving past a stupid, drugged-out teen, most likely listening to "Mayla" by Royale-5. Nisa placed a finger on her chin.

"Or maybe this is not the same guy. Maybe it's a copycat. Oh, I hate copycats, especially those that copy horrendous things like this! Why would the innocent grow into a darker individual due to the inspiration of such heinous people? It sickens my heart, over."

"I have no idea, Nis. Some are just crazy like that. Hey, maybe it is the same guy, but the body moved on its own. If what everyone is saying is true, and if we take that undead person we saw a couple of days ago as experience, then Lastation might be getting some zombies from Leanbox or Lowee, possibly both. Nis, I don't want to do it, but I might have to tell Miss Kei to call a Landmass of Emergency, over."

Nisa nodded in both agreement and anger. How the hell could these killings continue on like this? Why do there have to be zombies? Everything is worse with zombies! But maybe Whelps was right; maybe they would have to call for that emergency. As part of the LSPD, the worst thing that could happen is for that emergency to be called, which meant that the force has failed to stop whatever was the cause, causing major grief and skirmishes, as many blame the police for the errors in life (though if it was a natural storm, nothing happens to them). It would destroy both of them, and Nisa would probably never live it down. Yet, if it meant protecting the ones she loved, then so be it. She screwed that up once; might as well not do it again.

"I guess we might have to, Whelps, but only do that if there is absolutely no other way. We have to keep protecting Lastation until there is nothing more that we can do! Over," Nisa shouted through the transceiver, nearly shattering the ear-drums of the detective on the other line. After he recollected himself, he said:

"I understand, Nis. We'll keep tackling this case, and hopefully we'll see an end to all this. In the meantime, good luck out there, partner. I'm starting to near the location, so I have to terminate this call, over," Whelps responded, seeing that massive circle of police cars surrounding a polluted lot. Nisa once more nodded.

"Understood, and thank you. Good luck to you as well, and say hello to your wife for me! Over," Nisa finished her call, confirming to everyone that Whelps, somehow with that freaky face of his, managed to snag himself a wife, who was probably animated the exact same way as he was (Nisa never met her, but others at the force said she was either "the most attractive woman they ever seen" or "Oh god, what's wrong with her face?")

After that rather pointless paragraph, Nisa turned off the transceiver and walked out the room, running to the deck, where the rest of our heroes waited. Huh, she was the last one to get there.

* * *

"Okay, I'm just making sure. Whatever happens, Vert must live, got it? If even one speck of dust gets on her dress, I'll rip you all to-"

"That's enough, Chika! Nepgear, is everyone okay? Are you all prepared for the journey ahead?"

Nepgear had dot eyes as she was chosen to talk to the Oracles. She knew it was bad, given Vert'spresence here, but she wasn't expecting that whole barrage of taunts from Leanbox's Oracle. If Histoire didn't come to save the day, Ge-Ge would probably explode in fright. Either way, she made a confirmation "Uh-huh."

"We're all prepared, Histoire. It's kind of unsettling, but we should be fine. We haven't seen that Creepy guy again, though," Nepgear responded, shifting her eyes all around, hoping to at least know that he was actually here, but all she saw were the colors of black and orange, with a slight hint of green indicating grass, meaning some sunlight was reaching this land.

Kei soon took over the phone. "All of the Goddesses are accounted for, correct? Every human and candidate as well?" Even though she calmed down, there was still a hint of shakiness in Kei's voice, either from the fear of The Phantom, or the fear of Lastation falling apart. Whatever the cause was, it made Nepgear that much more unsettled.

Neptune took the phone away from her little sister. "Yeppers, we're all here! We are in front of a huge forest, and I believe I shall take the first step on this land," the Planeptune CPU said, jumping up and down in excitement as though this was the biggest moment in her life (it was actually scary to see her so energetic and flexible, as Noire saw her down an entirety of 26 pancakes in less than five seconds. How does she stay thin?). The Oracles on the other line looked at each other, before Mina spoke up.

"Actually, Miss Purple Heart, we want one of the soldiers from Captain U.S. Les's R.E.D's to take the first step on Lan16."

"Wha-Why? I want to make history!" Neptune pouted, surely not enjoying the fact that some random doofus would claim a land before should could even touch it. Histoire soon took the phone.

"Neptune, behave! Besides, I want one of them to do it in-case of a landmine being placed on the beach. We just need to make sure that the land is traversable," Histoire explained. Neptune pouted once more (or just continued to pout).

"Fine, if you say so, Histy. Still don't like it, though."

The Goddess told a random soldier exactly what to do, though because she was still mad, she left out the important tidbit of doing it because of a landmine possibility. The soldier completely agreed to do it, saluting the party and stepping down the ramp. Being that this land was never stepped on by anyone of modern Gamindustri, the soldier felt special over what was about to occur. They will embroider his name all across the land, the legendary "NPC 4!" They will make movies and books about him, make him into a celebrity, and create a game based off his life called "Atelier NPC 4: The Advernturer of Gamindustri," which would get a metocrytic score of…76, but that's beside the point! He will go down-

"Just step on the landmass already!" Neptune shouted, steam rising from her ears, still pretty ticked off by all of this. NPC 4 jumped, running down the ramp at top speed, before slowing, just so he could take in the feeling of stepping on the landmass. With cheers ringing in his head, the NPC ran all about the beach, stepping on every particle of sand, thinking that all he was doing was looking cool, not knowing that his life could possibly end right there. Luckily for him and unluckily for Neptune, he survived (Jeez, Neptune, you wanted him to die? Eh, NPC's are expendable, I guess). With that, he motioned the others to follow suit. Pretty soon, all of the soldiers and the heroes were on the beach.

"Hey, look on the ground there. It's a note," Ram pointed out, making Rom pick it up (what a douche, that Ram is). Wiping the sand off of it, Rom tried to read it, but due to inadequate light, she just gave herself a headache, causing Blanc to retrieve it. Indeed, the light was terrible, and even if it wasn't, the paper was extremely old and crinkly, making it almost impossible to read. Due to her beautiful nature of writing with the worst handwriting imaginable, however, Blanc was finally able to read it:

GUESTS:

HEAD NORTHWARD IN THE FOREST. ROCK NEXT PLACE

"The bastard…sorry, you two, wants us to go straight. We'll be getting another message on a rock, or by a rock, or near a rock…" Blanc tried to decide, finding that the message was sadly uninformative. IF placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, at least we know where to go. We just got to keep heading north while looking for rocks. Sounds stupid, but then again, this whole situation sounds stupid," IF said, strangely being the one that wanted to set out and look for rocks; she would usually be the one who would bitch about things (crap, here comes the pain. I didn't mean it, IF). Compa and Falcom nodded.

"I agree with Miss IF, this adventure sounds bogus, but if it's an adventure, then we need to start it up. It might be rocks, but we'll be closer to our goal," Falcom said, being the rather nice moral support for the group, which Blanc simply loved (her sisters didn't, or at least Ram didn't. Rom was busy poking a crab). Pretty much the entirety of the group shrugged, but ended up proceeding straight into the forest, hoping that this fanfiction will only have about 16 chapters; going any higher will be bad, though it would make this the second biggest fanfic on the site at this point of updating-okay, I'll shut up now.

With the R.E.D'S leading, the group vanished into the dark, and the Captain felt as though the atmosphere was frozen. It wasn't the fact that the whole landmass was dark that scared the living daylights out of him, but rather the silence the landmass had. The only noise he heard was the sound of the waves crashing behind him, and even that sounded muted. There were no birds cawing, no wind bustling, and no other form of creature roaring. Just what was this place? He hoped for the safety of Lady Green Heart and her friends, as well as his own general safety. Surely nothing bad could happen to him, right?

Once the group finally left the scene, Linda pulled herself out of the cargo and into the hallway, sneaking past some crewmates and climbing onto the deck. "Shit, staying in there is not good for the back. Oh, man, I got to use the bathroom," Linda silently yelled to herself. She always hated sneaking missions (if there was no cardboard box, she felt the mission was a failure), and this whole thing would be so much more possible if she didn't forget to bring her damn weapon. How was she supposed to save Pirachu unarmed? _Seriously, Pirachu, if I can save you and get off this hell, I will seriously beat the living shit out of you!_

Deciding that using the bathroom on the boat would be hazardous (no other girls on the boat; either they'll think she's a stowaway and throw her overboard, or…dear god, take advantage of her…), she decided that the only way to relieve herself was to use the sanctuary of the forest. "Okay, I'll do it if I have to. If I get poison ivy, someone's going to die. Jeez, I hope Magic isn't seeing this," Linda grumbled, still feeling guilty over the loss of her previous master. Even though it was quite some time since those troubled ASIC days, Linda still has PTSD, remembering each and every time she was beaten, and that terrible day when Magic was both killed and returned as a monster. It was sickening, but now that she noticed the group all together again, she felt as though revenge was just waiting to happen.

"All right, I guess I'll trail them. Just need to steal one of their weapons, and presto! They're finally dead. Just got to keep my distance and…oh, man, I can't hold it!" Linda starting bending over in pain. Rushing down the ramp (Somehow not attracting any attention), she ran straight into a patch of trees, relieving herself of both her bladder and that terrible pain, and bringing the author some pain for mentioning this to everyone. Hey, the first game made constant jokes about bladder-thingamabobs, okay? Leave me alone, goddammit! Starting to become a war-zone in my head.

Anyways, after doing that, Linda started to snake her way through the thicket, before coming across a strange sight. Deep in the darkness, covered in a slight orange glow, were three figures, all just staring at her, snorting and hooting like wild boars. _What the hell? They aren't on the bitches side. What, did they miss these things? _Linda thought, accidentally trapping her gaze on them. The three things were hard to make out, but from what Linda could gather, they were all skinny, almost down to the bone,were completely bald, had glowing yellow eyes, and had barely any clothes on (resulting in disgust on her part). They just stood there as if they were mocking her, and before Linda could call out to them, they escaped into the shadows, hopefully to never be seen again. Linda did not notice it, but her legs and hell, her whole body was shaking in fright.

"S-Screw you, too! I'll just keep going, then," Linda said, keeping her eyes wide open as she stepped into the darkness.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 500, para 4:_

"…It is strange, but it seems that in another universe, Lady Turbo has a chance of existing, albeit still merely a toddler during the rampant 80's. From this, I began to ask myself so many terrific questions, like why is she a child decades after the time she was in her thirty's, and why was Planeptune's Goddess much more perky than their current ruler? Where does the dividing point begin; the point where just one, maiden universe gives birth to millions-upon billions of universes, each but a case of a 'what-if' scenario that could be different by just a second of another universe? How does this process even begin to form, and if it is caused by temporal anomalies, then is my thesis wrong? Perhaps D does not go over F in its prime form, but rather in its negative form, branding Z as the unique number, rather than E plus-or-minus 5. This could explain why this happens, but even then, why are they all different? I must find this out, for what would occur if there were too many universes based off of one? Oh, how I hope nothing ill could come out of that…"


	13. PART 2: A Deadly Encounter

Chapter 16: In which our Heroes get entranced in the everpresent woods

The group managed to cover at least a quarter of a mile in less than ten minutes, though they soon began to feel rather tired and stressed. It took probably around one minute before the group began to feel how harsh the weather really was on this landmass. On the beach, it was pretty moderate and nice, yet in the woods the temperature rose to what had to be the high-80's, caking the heroes in sweat and heavy moisture that lingered on in the air. Even with the heavy shade coming from the oddly-colored orange trees, the temperature was always humid, and none of the Goddesses and humans enjoyed it (Especially Blanc and her sisters, who were unfortunate enough to be accustomed to the cold). Everyone hoped that The Phantom was near, yet they all feared dying of heat stroke in case this lingered on.

"Oh, why is it so~ hot? Can't this Phantomy guy turn on an AC or something?" Neptune complained, hunched over as she walked, enjoying the sight of watching a millipede try to run from her (She didn't want to hurt it, but it was just weird to see, I guess). The rest groaned as they continued on through the thicket, occasionally hearing a foreign bird call out above them. Damn scavengers.

"I should've asked the Captain if the sea got hot. Heh, I guess I know now," Vert said, trying to act cheerful, but ultimately feeling down again as the heat appeared before her. IF looked up, noticing through the thick leaves the sun appearing through some clouds, appearing like a lemon in the thick haze. Even with the intensity of the mighty, celestial body, the world around them was still shrouded in mystery and woe. Was there any point in it even existing, then? At least light the way for them!

"Are you okay, Iffy?" Lyrica asked from behind, sluggishly carrying her guitar in one hand. IF waved her hand in the air, not feeling in the mood to talk. Lyrica smiled, even though she knew no one would appreciate her looking elated during this hoarse time. "It's warm out here, but I gotta say, it's rather peaceful in the dark," the idol said, closing her eyes as she finally heard the noise of nature around her. Indeed, the farther they moved inland, the closer they got to an actual ecosystem, with disturbing birds and some deer-like creatures running amok around them. Flowers of different colors finally appeared around them, breaking the typical mold of orange around them with the sweet serenity of the diverse color-wheel. The grass commonly grew to around their knees, shortening here-and-there, with a rather unique assortment of critters taking shelter within, such as that millipede Neptune chased, oddly-colored ladybugs, and spiders that grew to the size of Rom's fist. Coupled with the trees that covered the sky, it was a habitat that rang the same way as back home in Gamindustri; with the exception of some new creatures, it was like Leanbox at night.

IF wouldn't claim it as peaceful, however, for she felt that no matter how the creatures seemed to be startled by the massive groups presence, she couldn't shake off the feeling that deep within the mighty forest, unspecified creatures watched over them, waiting for the opportune moment to strike at them like the poor wildegophers of southern Lastation when hunted by the man-lions. Every once-in-a-while, she would turn her head, and at the corner of her eye, she would see disgusting, yellow eyes looking back at her, before vanishing into the mighty thicket. Hell, to top it all off, she felt a familiar presence behind the group, tailing them with a dark intention in mind, though of course she just passed this feeling off as simplistic paranoia, and refused to share her concern with anyone; hopefully that will not bite her in the ass later on.

Blanc looked about her. "This place looks unbaringly boring. Every creature is the same back home. Oh look, a birdvader with another color of wings! Yeah, that's freaking original," Blanc complained, sighing as she wished for a paper-back to be in her hands. At least in those pages of endless text, there was somewhere that was so unique, you could just escape from reality. As the group walked on, dozens of creatures detected them and fled, some posing battle-stances, which the group simply chose to ignore as they pressed forward. Where the hell was this rock, anyways? The Goddesses all feared that they might've chose one, wrong turn, and were suddenly on the mercy of the wrong path. Blanc was ready to be sarcastic, but decided to ignore her impulses, instead focusing her attention on her younger sisters, who appeared bored out of their minds.

"Damn, nothing for miles. You know, I hate to say it, but I wish we could fight _something_!" Uni said, flipping her gun on certain occasions, trying to feel the coolness of the metallic structure.

"Sheesh, are we there yet? I'm with Uni; I want to fight something!" Ram yelled kicking a random pebble on the ground, pouting with her arms folded. She was told by Blanc that there were going to be enemies all around her, meaning that she had to be on the edge throughout the entirety of the adventure. So far, all she had experienced were those stupid animals, and since she was instructed not to attack them, she felt that their existence around her was entirely moot. _Oh, when I'm allowed to attack, you stupid creatures will have no chance against me!_

However, her boisterous mind was interrupted by a slap by Blanc. "Quit your complaining and look professional. That includes you too, Rom!" Blanc scolded. Ram grew even angrier.

"_I _have to look professional? You're the one who was complaining in the first place! Seriously, if something could happen, shouldn't we train or something? Can't we just spar with these things?" Ram argued, ignoring the spider that began to climb up her ankle. It was now Blanc's turn to puff her cheek out. With the instruction from Miss Vert, Cave intercepted.

"Quiet, both of you! Forgive me, Lady White Heart, but is this how a Goddess would act? Is this how a Candidate should act?" She hissed, barely seperating the two Sisters from lynching one-another. Cave should have recalled the fact that Blanc was nearly impossible to hold down, however, and was subsequently blasted away by her mighty hammer of Lowee. Blanc never enjoyed the sounds of people talking, always finding ways to isolate herself from conversation whenever she was really not needed in the end, but if she ever found herself being talked back to, then simply put, she would personally cut the person talking back's face in quarters, and place each one on a sandwich, later consuming it while laughing maniacally. Yes, she is _willing _to do that.

"Did you just talk back to me, Ram? I'm trying to protect you out here, but if you keep that damn attitude of yours for the rest of this journey, then I will leave you behind for the scuzzy-birds! Do you fucking want that?" Blanc yelled, suddenly bringing her hammer up above her head, causing Ram to flinch and duck in fright. The rest of the group was simply stunned by the outrage Blanc was currently in. Would she really harm her little sister like that? They all would've normally stopped her, but seeing the treatment Cave just went through not too long ago, paralysis was the only thing that responded to them.

"Yikes! Okay, I'm sorry, Blanc! I won't talk back to you again, now please don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" Ram pleaded, going to her knees with her hands locked together. Normally she would simply run around laughing, enjoying how she made her older sister angry, but now that they were far, far away from home, that freedom of being an ass was just not around in this befuddling atmosphere. Blanc's eyes appeared to be red (hard to tell, given the coloring of this landmass so far), and even though Ram's apology was indeed geniune, Blanc did not release her grip, either indicating that she didn't hear, or was so fed up that she just didn't care for her words. No matter what the reason, jeez Blanc, abusive relationships never work!

If it wasn't for Falcom, a dead loli would be featured in this fanfiction, and most people would puke and shoot me like they did to the conquest ending, while others would cheer, in which case I would produce only a question mark. She knew that a dead, little girl was not the most appealing thought out in a dark forest, and her sense of duty made her run up (second runner-up was Nisa, who was sadly not as quick as Falcom was). "Lady Whit Heart, please lower your hammer! That is not a way to treat a young girl!" the stock-heroine yelled.

Unlike with Cave, Blanc immediately calmed down, lowering her hammer to around her waistline. After taking some deep breath's to fully alienate the rage within her, she suddenly grew a smile across her face. "Sorry about that, Falcom; you know I didn't mean to snap. I just didn't get that much sleep, is all," Blanc said cooly and collectively. With that, she extended her arm out to her little sister and helped her up. "Seriously though, do not talk back to me, understand?" Blanc said, now sporting a frown, though not one that indicated complete rage like last time. While still angry about how Blanc was acting, Ram only nodded, and with that, the small hiccup had faded, allowing our heroes to continue on their quest.

As Cave was uttering "bullshit" over how she was treated compared to Falcom, the group became suddenly paranoid out of their minds. They have now been traversing this landmass for about an hour, and it seemed that little progress has been made. No matter how far they made it, the scenery stood the same: a dark forest with orange high-lights, along with the rarity of green, blue, and strangely purple, and coupled with either familiar or new creatures that ran or watched them intently. It always appeared that something was trailing them from behind, and if that was not the case, then the mighty thicket beside them on all directions was clearly not helping, as eyes appeared through the tiny pockets every so often. Lyrica was the only one that found peace out in the dark, though Vert seemed to enjoy the calmness of the air (not the wildlife, though), as the others shook like crazy, and occasionally some clamped onto others for support, in case of weak-knees and blatant fanservice.

"Does anybody have the time? How long have we been here?" Noire asked, constantly turning her head as though a huge creature presented itself behind her. Everyone looked at their wrists, most shaking their heads (There was never a time feature in the previous games, so who needs to keep time these days?), while IF did the smart thing and pulled out her white cellphone, checking the top corner of the machine. It stated bluntly that it was about 9: 30 in the morning, according to Leanbox's timezone, that is. After sharing the news rather lazily to Noire, the Lastation Goddess sighed.

"Man, where the hell is this rock? Could he at least be more descriptive? Jeez, Blanc, it reminds me of your writing," Noire said with that last sentence going by extremely quickly, causing Lady White Heart to ask "what?" There were rocks all around them, but none seem to indicate that they were _the _rock that The Phantom wanted them to seek. Sure, there were boulders all around them, and at points it seemed like messages were written on them (though sadly, they all were the result of lighting effects), but there was still no hope to their madness. It especially got egregious when Vert asked if a boulder really was considered a rock, as she pointed out that many locals say that rocks are especially smaller than the standard boulder. Coupled with Neptune instantly agreeing with that sentiment, face-palms started to erupt everywhere.

That was when they heard the noise.

"G-Guys, in the bushes!" Uni shouted, readying her machine gun, crouching like the "professional" soldier she was. The rest turned, and saw, through what had to be the sturdiest leaves around, something lurking towards them, running to the point that it will indeed pounce on them when it got the chance. Noire would've protested to Uni that the creature was probably chasing after something else, but being in the paranoid state shared by everyone else, she too, got prepared to fight. Soon, the entirety of the massive party got into battle positions, ready to fight off the dark presence that loitered about before them, possibly planning out their entire demise in its head. No matter what jumps out of that bush, the battle will certainly be tense, and holy hell, the Goddesses and their human companions will certainly be prepared to perfom a counter-attack whenever necessary.

_Please be a nice creature…please be a nice creature! _Compa was shouting in her head, hesitantly holding her syringe out, ready to strike whenever needed. The creature was extremely close now, as the group could hear its quiet panting, as though it was running for quite a long time. Sweat appeared on everyone's heads, and as soon as the creature popped out, a battle-cry was issued by many of them, for the creature was none other than…

…a babyvader.

It came to a sudden stop, hopping around on its stubby legs, its emotionless eyes looking at the heroes with a fixed smile that barely reached anywhere. The group realized what this creature really was, and quickly lowered their weapons in embarrassment. Any other type of vader would've caused our heroines to immediately attack, but a babyvader was simply no match for them. They eliminated so many over the course of their plentiful adventures, coming to the point that they were simply cannon-fodder whenever they came up, all the way to the point that Compa actually adopted one as a pet (unfortunately, it ran away almost immediately after she got it. It truly was a sad day for the doctor). It sported the same color as the ones back in Gamindustri, and was just so _adorable_.

"d'aww, it's a babyvader. Aw, are you lost, poor thing? Relax, Neptune will never hurt you. No she wouldn't, no she wouldn't!" Neptune started cooing, petting the babyvader as though it were a dog. Noire quickly slapped the ditz's head.

"Neptune, you don't even know if it's dangerous or not! Just because it's a babyvader doesn't mean it's exactly like the ones back home!" Lastation's CPU said, fuming as Neptune brushed her hand, saying "oww~" under her breath. Nisa walked over to the creature, also enjoying the sweet serenity of being near a baby of a creature.

"Relax, Miss Goddess, babyvaders have always been on the lower-tier in terms of the evil-and-vicious department. Besides, can you really make a harsh judgement to that face?" Nisa said, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the child-like vader monster. Even though Noire still felt hesistant by it, everyone else (yes, this includes IF and Blanc) said "d'aww" in unison. It was these moments that really ticked Noire off to no end.

However, as soon as Nisa began to pet it, the babyvader produced a surprised "!" above its head, and just as quickly as it first appeared, the monster fled straight, going into the next pile of bushes, leaving the major group surprised and confused. "What, did Nisa do something wrong? I told you never to pet anything with gloves on," IF mumbled under her breath, much to the steady chagrin of the Heroine of Justice. The babyvader shooked the various bushes around it, and soon it was completely gone, joining the mass of black that filled the majority of the landmass. In a few seconds, everything got disturbingly quiet.

"Oh well, we shouldn't bother it. Babyvaders are so cut-" Gust began to say before a mighty thorn pierced the tree next to her.

The entire group looked over at that tree, going with the movie trope of not moving when something terrible occurs. Gust saw the thorn the best, and noted that red blotches covered the mighty shell of the weapon-like appendage, indicating that some form of poison lurked within that cover. It immediately fascinated the Alchemist, though she was filled more with fear than wonderment. Whatever shot at her, it came from the bushes, the direction the babyvader originated from. Nepgear appeared to be the most shocked out of all of them.

"What…the goodness…"

And just like that, thousands of thorns fell from the sky like arrows in an ancient war. The Goddesses and humans soon found themselves dancing like pros as their very lives were on the line. IF snarled as she dodged this hellfire, firing her own dagger towards a random location (She was too busy surviving to actually pay attention to where it was going). Surprisingly, she hit something, as indicated by the ear-piercing screech. It filled the air, causing the thorns to stop falling, destroying the foundations of the landmass around the heroes. Everyone was looking around frantically, the heat and tension not boding well to those with a weaker will compared to the rest.

When the creatures finally appeared, the party was already armed and prepared, swords drawn towards the sky and guns pointed towards the bizarre creation of man. The monsters came from the trees and landed in front of them, their tails aiming towards their heads. There were three of them, one with IF's dagger lodged in its back, spewing a putrid red from the purple shell. The creatures were beyond ugly, appearing as stout as a duck, being defended like a porcupine with their endless stream of thorns, with the skin appearing purple like Neptune's hair. Their faces, to those of the human verse, would look just like a honey badger, minus the hair, with the eyes huge and yellow. They snarled with thick saliva drooling from their mouths, with their claws, gigantic and straight like tall grass, catching the falling liquid. They were vicious, angry, and above all else, ready to strike on our heroes, jumping like mad towards them.

Vert was recorded as the first one to slay one of these beings, as she slashed her halberd in the air, breaking the underbelly of the bizarre monster, sending it fleeing towards a tree, its entrails trailing close behind him. The other two apparently were more strategic, as they appeared to have known what had occurred, or were just smarter than the stupid victim, jumping around the trees and going towards their flank. More thorns were shot out, piercing celestia before they came hailing down back to Lan16, making our heroes jump about once more, one thorn actually slashing Nisa and Rom on their way back down (luckily, the thorns didn't lodge themselves into their skin). At the sight of blood from Rom, Blanc grew excrutiatingly furious, suddenly transforming into the legendary White Heart.

The monster on the right stood absolutely no chance against White Heart, as before it could even flinch or attack, the mighty hammer smashed its skull into billions of pieces, its body flailing about on the ground, as though it still wanted more from the relentless Goddess. Eventually, it went limp, the remnants of its destroyed body simply laying there, its body eventually joining the ground below it. Even though White Heart was pretty stoic and ballsy, even she couldn't feel anything but sick at the sight of the body, with blood of course pouring out of its open neck, and the remnants of bone and brain spewed about the ground around the carcass, lookin like a bunch of garbage thrown about carelessly on the ground. _Oh…oh god…_, White Heart thought, looking away from it quickly as she covered her mouth, trying to hold back the vomit.

The last of the monsters hid within the bush, shooting out thorns as it tried to live. Nisa blocked each one of the bullets, shooting out a rather kick-ass laserbeam from her trusted prinny gun, though just like the creature, she too was unsuccessful in this pursuit. It snarled and panted, never letting down its guard, ready to kill off the girls whenever they got an opening. It appeared to understand strategy, as it soon stopped firing and panting, filling the world with endless silence. "W-What, did it finally leave?" Lyrica asked, looking about in fright, holding up her guitar in fright. IF held her arm in front of the bluenette, looking about with vigilant eyes.

"M-Maybe it ran away. Golly, did we seriously just kill those guys?" Neptune asked, looking over at one of the corpses, as the others also began to gather. They couldn't believe it; somehow these creatures were actually dead. Sure, they defeated creatures back home, but that was it. _Defeated_, not killed. Many of the girls looked away in disgust. "Hey, um, er, hm…" Neptune pondered, never figuring out what words she wanted to use. Even the ditz's head was filled with the pictures of the dead body, all the way to the guts that were splattered about. _I'm…I'm going to be sick, aren't I? Ah man…_

"Guys, behind us!"

The team turned to see the creature on top of a tree, howling and screeching as it clinged on a branch, arching its back right at them, preparing to send another onslaught of fatal thorns to be thrown. Vert readied her halberd, Noire got that rapier aimed and ready, Nisa got her prinny gun all set up, and Uni crouched with her gun aimed high, all fully engaged in defeating this pest. The rest of the party was either distraught or too confused to do anything major, and watched helplessly as the monster prepared to attack. _It's going to shoot again. Shit, don't miss, _Uni yelled in her mind as she soon noticed that her aim became wobbly.

Everyone there thought that survival-dancing would be inevitable, but the monster was probably either bright, or extremely stupid, as instead of firing, he jumped straight at the party, howling like a diseased monkey with its slender claws protruding out in the air. Vert had some luck last time when a creature jumped at her, but she was only able to strike the blasted being when it was at ground-level; this one, sadly, was right above her, and while she was perfectly capable of swinging in that direction, airborne enemies were always shocking to her, freezing her wrists as well as her mind. The rest of the party was no different, locked in place as the being took their surprise. If no one moved in an instant, someone was going to die.

Uni was among the many that were frozen in fright and surprise, but unlike the others, she managed to get herself back together as soon as she noticed who the targets were. The monster jumped slightly to the left, aiming directly at her frozen sister, its hand high above its own head, ready to slash off Noire's face (if that was even possible with straight claws). _Oh crap, I have to shoot. Shoot, dammit! _Uni yelled, once more repeating, "don't miss" in her head, pressing down on the trigger as hard as humanly possible. _Man_, she had to wonder_, how long was this scene, anyways?_ To answer that question, about two-and-a-half minutes.

Uni's bullet zipped right through the air, barely missing Noire's shoulder as it trailed its way towards the monster's face. Uni, out of desperation, forgot to trail her target, meaning that a headshot in the long run was not to be expected. The monster's eyes bulged, however, as the bullet still managed to lodge itself within him, taken a permenant shelter within its chest cavity, which began to pour out blood in an instant, getting Noire straight on. The monster's hand flinched, and its flight came to a sudden stop, as it still managed to knock Noire to the ground, but not in any way it originally hoped. When it reached the ground, it flailed about, its mouth agape with sounds so putrid I can't even describe them. It appeared as though it was wrestling something, as its arms clenched the open air around it, before it finally started to just twitch, before coming to a complete stop, never to harass a single soul ever again.

Uni was panting loudly, standing up as her gun was lowered to her waist. Throughout that whole ordeal, she was feeling a steady combat rush, not even realizing that a thorn was slightly embedded in her leg, loose but ultimately painful. Once the pain finally showed, she winced and yelped, waking up the others that were awestrucked at the events that so recently unfolded around them. So many paragraphs have passed by just detailing a simple monster encounter; oh dear, this is going to be one painful journey, isn't it?

"T-There, Noire, can you forgive me now? I just saved your life," Uni stammered, recalling that pesky argument that really needs to stop popping up in this narrative. Noire probably didn't even realize that the creature's blood covered her head, dripping down onto her suit, which will probably stain it for life. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was pale, with the words that she spoke coming out of her mouth like tiny ants escaping their ant-hole.

"Uni…"

Uni's face actually lit up, assuming that praise was going to be granted to her. She always enjoyed praise from her older sister, always feeling more and more human whenever words of kindness were given to her. Sure, Nepgear made her feel more human, but…ah, Uni will kill me if I continue that! Anyways, finally, the hatchet can be buried, and the two of them could reconcile on this island. It is only a matter of time before some character development happens, so let it be a hap-

"You could have killed me, Uni."

Uni's world fell apart in an instant. Gone were the mighty hues of orange, replaced with cracks that signified her own downfall. Her smile vanished, and instead a dark frown appeared on her, filled with complete dread and scorn. Everyone soon regained their composure, realizing now that the two, bickering sisters were sadly at it once more. IF wanted to throw a dagger at both of them, though knowing that would be sadistic, she forced herself down, yet still wanted to intervene. If there was anything she needed after the slaughter of three ugly creatures, it was definitely not two teenage girls bitching about something so stupid.

"What?" Uni yelled with a nasty vigor in her tone. White Heart suddenly turned back into her human form and walked back to the group, dazed and still as pale as the snow dotting her own landmass. She asked Rom if she was okay (she was), and asked Falcom what in the bloody hell was going on now. When she heard that a conflict was growing, she actually did throw up, though luckily no one saw when she ran to a bush.

Noire turned over at Uni, not looking so frightened as much as pissed. Her eyes displayed a sense of pain, though that was hard to notice since her face was masked with the blood of…whatever the hell those things were. Uni and the rest would probably laugh at the Goddess over how goofy she was presented (sick, but still funny as hell), but seeing that glare made Uni feel nothing but fear with a tinge of anger.

"You could have warned me that you were firing! That bullet nearly blasted off my neck! Ugh, what would you do if I was seriously injured, huh? Think next time, would you?" Noire snapped, scaring the entirety of the cast, including Linda, who I can see hiding behind that tree over there. Uni, however, managed to hold her ground, unlike a previous scene back at the Basilicom.

"Hey, please…" Nepgear tried to say, before Uni finally yelled:

"So that's my reward for fucking saving your life? Yeah, thanks, I'm glad I could be of assistance!"

Noire's eyes opened wide. "Did…did you seriously just swear in front of me? You have know right to do that! Man, you really are immature!" Noire shouted, fists clenched, though her sword still lingered in rest mode. Uni turned to face away from her.

"Immature? Blanc and Ram might be immature, but if you call me that…fine, maybe I am. Fuck, bitch, whore…" damn, Uni, I think I stated before that I wanted to censor all of your swears, but these are coming way too fast for my liking. Yikes, she's still going! There's a bad word that starts with z?

"Oh, Uni! Goodness, stop fighting, you two!" Nepgear yelled, covering her ears to prevent such terrible words to enter her mind. She would have to be very desperate and hopeless if she were to ever swear like that. Noire stared at Uni, teeth gnashing against one another, fire bellowing in her eyes. If it weren't for Neptune flinging water at Noire's face (surprisingly getting rid of most of the blood in the process-okay, where the hell did she randomly get water?), this group would never be able to continue their journey. Spitting and flailing about in surprise, Noire surprisingly calmed down, wiping away any residue that managed to hang there.

"Ugh…let's just go. I want this done with," Noire said with a nicer tone than before, though it was still equally as menacing. Uni was still looking away, but Cave and Vert were able to see that tears were forming in the candidate's eyes. Vert could only shake her head. _Noire, Noire, Noire…stress can leave the body in a better way, you know?_

Blanc quickly took a step forward, noticably wobbling in her stride. "I agree, let's get the hell out of here. The quicker we are away from dead things, the better," Blanc said, looking down at the ground, refusing to look just slighty higher and see the rotting corpse of an unfortunate creature. Seriously, since when did monsters actually _die _in this universe, instead of just fleeing or pixelating away? She didn't know, and for now, not knowing was a lot more acceptable than any other option.

"I agree, we have lingered on in this place for too long. We must hurry, before more wild creatures decide to flank us," Vert replied, though she quickly looked over at Blanc. She was indeed looking weak, with her arms barely clinging onto the hammer. "Miss Blanc, are you all right? You seem very sick."

Blanc looked over at the buxom Goddess, shaking her head, something unusual for a woman who hated to be thought of as weak. "I'll be fine. It just sort of hurt transforming and maintaining it. Why the hell was it so empowering? Can't be getting soft!" Blanc wondered, looking like she was ready to pass out. Compa immediately ran up to her, making sure the Goddess could stand, though Blanc shoved her off, saying she didn't need any damn help.

"It was hard to stay transformed? That's rather weird," IF said, still checking her phone, pissed that the reception was rather bad this far out. Vert placed a finger delicately on her chin, wondering why such a problem could occur. Cave also emplored on this thought, before finally replying with an "eureka" moment:

"Perhaps she had a hard time staying in that form because of the shares. We aren't on Gamindustri anymore, so perhaps her powers are weakened as a result. That could explain why she looks pale now. Are _you_ feeling sick, Lady Green Heart?"

Vert had to agree with that thought, for it just seemed so obvious. Back on Gamindustri, Noire and Uni were both weak when they arrived in Leanbox because of the shares, so perhaps that extended over here, as well. Maybe the shares of Gamindustri failed to reach over here, resulting in the Goddesses all being weakened. "Well, I do not feel sick, but then again, I have yet to transform. I guess we'll find out. None of you feel sick at all?" Vert asking, looking at the other Goddesses and Candidates.

"Naw, I'm fine over here, and so is Nep Jr.!" Neptune answered with a smile filled with glee, though a tear fell from her eye due to the death around her. Nepgear only nodded, still looking at Uni with concern.

Blanc looked at her sisters. "Are both of you fine? Compa, please put a bandage on Rom."

Both of the polar-opposite twins performed that funny arm-folding pose, aiming at each other to signify that, yes, they are essentially related. "Yep, I'm fine here…stupid…" Ram said, hoping Blanc didn't catch that last bit.

"I'm…feeling okay, too…" Rom answered in her oh, so adorable shy voice.

Vert nodded and looked at the Black Sisters, waiting for their reply. She knew they listened to her and Cave before (they both looked at them), but no matter how longed she waited, the two of them would never answer. Anger was still swelling between the two, and by the look of things, it wasn't going to be quelled anytime soon. Blanc and the others expected some sort of answer, but Vert simply shrugged it off. There was no use in waiting while creatures were still possibly watching them from afar (she, too, felt that strange feeling that something was tagging along behind them, though she passed it off as generic paranoia).

"All right, well, we'll figure out this problem as we go along. Hurry now, I don't like being surrounded by so much death," Leanbox's CPU said. The rest of the group looked at Lastation's leaders, sighing as they went on and continued their seamlessly never-ending quest. From behind, Linda continued on as well, trying to hold her stomach in as she walked by the decapitated monster.

And above the land, against the darkened sky, the blue light still shined, now with the strongest intensity the world has ever seen.

* * *

It took awhile (possibly two-full hours), but the group finally found the rock The Phantom was leading them towards. It stood proud as sunlight began to cast itself fully on the landmass. Even with that sun in the sky, the world was pitch-black all around them, though the landmass finally appeared to be another color other than orange; sadly, the color was a putrid brown. Neptune had to shrug; guessing "real is brown" was nothing but true. Lyrica was actually the one who picked up the letter this time, with the text being much more legible this time, though it was still covered in a thicket of dust. On the paper, the words read:

CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING THIS FAR!

SPLIT INTO TWO GROUPS; ONE FOR EACH SIDE OF ROCK

TWO SWITCHES AHEAD. MUST BE PRESSED AT THE SAME TIME. MUST BE TWO SEPARATE GROUPS.

"Two groups?" Lyrica looked beyond the rock at the mighty wall ahead. It was made of pure stone-and-brick, reaching as high as three of her, extending past the rock for what had to be a few miles (it was much less than that, but still). No matter how it looked, there were no doors to be seen, meaning that two groups had to be formed at this spot. She couldn't see any switches, but she assumed that The Phantom…no, _the creep, _was at least telling them the truth in terms of leading them to possibly their uncertain death. "I guess we have to…"

"Oh, oh, what does it say, what does it say? I know The Phantom is probably a douche, but I can't help but feeling excited by all this!" Neptune asked, much to the chagrin of pretty much everybody. 5pb. alerted them that from this point-on, they would have to split into two groups, in order to press two buttons that have to be pressed at exactly the same time. What these buttons will do in the future is currently unknown, and why the game developers added a cooperative puzzle is beyond me.

"I , no matter what, 5, I'm sticking with you," IF said, folding her arms as she walked up to the idol, who couldn't help but smile. Compa grew dot eyes, quickly running up to them.

"I can't leave any of you two alone! One wrong move, and we might end up falling into another portal!" Compa said, looking so determined for absolutely no reason. Nepgear nodded happily to them.

"I'll be with you as well. Uni, do you want to join?" Nepgear asked her friend, smiling cheerfully against the darkened atmosphere around her. Uni was lost in thought, constantly looking at some animal tracks on the ground, her mouth still quivering, though she refused to show anyone. Her gun was aiming down to the dirt below, the safety clicked on like the good gun that it was. "Uni?" Nepgear asked once more, this time causing the candidate to jump.

"Ah, what?" Uni asked, readying her gun in case of emergency.

"We're breaking off into groups. Do you want to join mine?" Nepgear asked again, still sounding rather too cheerful for Lan16. Uni looked directly at her, then over to the rest, before pulling off a puffed-cheek.

"Well, fine, but only because you need protection out there. I can't trust you alone. It's not like I would join for any other reason," Uni said in all-tsunderish galore. Nepgear jumped with excitement, always happy whenever Uni agrees to do something with her, much to the little Candidate's vexation. However, Nepgear still had that tinge of fear in the back of her mind, that strange scratchy feeling that simply will never go away. She looked at Uni's arms again, still seeing thin, red lines dashed across the wrists, though once more, Nepgear did not want to bring anything up. Hell, she wanted to bring up the wound on Uni's leg, but she still kept quiet.

"Coolsies. Well, Nep Jr., I believe I'll go with the others. Noirey's in that group, too, and us Nep's got to look after our Tsunderish friends!" Neptune stated, waving goodbye as she walked backwards towards the rock. Nepgear grew surprised.

"Huh, you're not coming with us?" Nepgear asked, prompting Neptune to shake her head.

"Nah, I would, but Noirey wanted to be away from Uni for a little bit, y'know? Give it time; the dere will show anytime now. If you're in trouble, just holler and I'll jump over that wall and beat up whatever wants a beating, ya dig? Neptune said, suddenly growing totally radical, dood! Nepgear sighed, understanding but really not accepting it. Uni looked at the older sister as she walked off, growing a little furious.

"I hope you aren't thinking that I need protection out there or anything," Uni scolded Nepgear, who raised her hands in defense. She always enjoyed hanging out with Uni, but for the sake of the writer's hands and her own sense of self-worth, she hoped that this walk will be rather short. I mean, let's get serious for a second, eh? What's the worst that could happen during this trek to push a button? Besides those hedgehog things, or any other worse creature, or that dragon coming back, or The Phantom ending their lives quickly, or…

The groups were divided up, with Nepgear, Uni, IF, Lyrica, Compa, Falcom, Blanc, Rom, and Ram, with the other group comprising of Neptune, Nisa, Noire, Gust, Cave, and Vert, with Captain U.S. Les and his men split evenly between both groups (oh yes, you're probably wondering where those guys were during the monster attack. U.S Les put up a stance, but the others hid behind a tree. When they came back, everyone wanted to scold and harass them, but Blanc wouldn't hear it. She just coldly told them 3-4 hours for some reason, and that was that. There, happy now?). Sure, the groups were far from even, but Blanc refused to separate the two loli's from one another, so the others just had to accept that. With a wave from both Purple Sisters, the groups marched onward toward possible damnation and not that crappy game either.

* * *

Before you suddenly ask any questions, yes, for some reason, someone in the party thought it would be best to send Gust and Nisa along in the _same group_, made more annoying to the fact that IF made that call, when she was the only one that slightly saw the problem between the two. Was her decision based off of a real plot, where she wanted them to reconcile, or was she being an ass and just having some fun? Either way, it has been 12, long, painful chapters, and I still have no idea what these characters are trying to do.

Nisa led her group, dodging the thick leaves of the trees that sagged to the floor, ready to fall over at any second. It was clear that this part of the forest was left neglected, as the wall was clearly man-made, leaving the trees to have to wait to be trimmed, instead of the leaves naturally falling off, if that's the case with trees in real life. The grass was even bigger here, and some strange, never-before-seen bugs crawled about on the blades, some as small as peas, others the size of her hand, which obviously creeped us all out. The leaves were covered with some moisture, clearly rain by the feel when Nisa got smacked by a drop, showing that some other type of temperature existed besides hot and humid. Other than that, besides the human wall and the darkness off to the side, the place was the same-old, boring-ass stuff.

Neptune grazed the wall with her hand, cooing about how smooth it was. "Dang, I never felt brick this smooth! Come on, Noirey, touch it! Isn't it so amusing?" Neptune said dreamily, getting too caught up in…loving brick-and-stone? Eh, to each their own. Noirey shook her head, realizing now that this was the weirdest thing Neptune has done so far. Feeling bricks? What in the flying Goodness was that all about?

"Since when did you feel brick? Does Planeptune even have brick on their buildings? It never seemed like it," Noire asked, feeling rather stupid for asking such a needless question, realizing that she entered the domain of the Purple-hair, clumsy ditz, that just happened to be a freaking Goddess. Neptune looked over at her, smiling with her eyes closed.

"Yep, we do! Mostly on our old, scabby ones, though. Histy said they weren't needed by the 40's, but damn, I just love feeling bricks! They're so awesome!" Neptune cheered, loudly enough for Nepgear to stop and act defensive, thinking that a monster was on the prowl around her. Noire gave a face-palm, seriously wondering why the hell this was a conversation in a fanfiction that will never be read. I think she just answered her own question.

"If you say so. I just can't see what's so thrilling about brick. It's just stone carved into a weird shape," the Lastation CPU said, shaking her head as she looked to her right, making sure nothing lingered in the shadows beside them. Gust only stared at them with pity.

"You folk talk about the stupidest things," Gust said, not believing that the highest of all individuals of Gamindustri would talk about freaking bricks. Oh well, enough talk about shaped stone; after the two Goddesses looked away in embarrassment (Noire did, but not Neptune), Gust looked forward, straight at Nisa's back. She had no idea why IF placed her here, but Gust felt for a second that IF did it on purpose, for some reason. She wondered if Nisa told IF everything back on the boat. _No, Nisa would do stupid things, but never that…would she?_

That memory still played in her head like a never-ending story. All of those sirens, all of those people…every single one of their faces were still etched clearly in her head, and no matter how hard she tried to forget them, they will always be there, watching and laughing at her whenever they damn, well please. She still remembered Nisa standing there, all alone with her on a tiny island surrounded by roads and vehicles in Lastation, people looking through their windows to look at the obscure group. A helicopter always flew by with its searchlight turned to maximum, a key detail that Gust will never forget. She remembered the terrified face of Nisa, and…

_No, Gust has to stop thinking like this, _Gust thought to herself, gripping onto her hat as she shook her head violently. When she stopped doing that rather hilarious movement, she looked to see that Nisa was staring back at her with curious eyes. It was pretty clear to Gust that Nisa was replaying the same memory within her own head, albeit in a different perspective, possibly one that was more bitchy; that was Gust's opinion, but still, she felt like she was the correct one here. When Nisa caught herself staring, she immediately turned away, focusing on moving forward like usual. Gust sighed and looked down at her feet. Even though there was some bad blood betweent the two, Gust still didn't want any trouble during these few days; just get it over with, and never look back on the past.

Vert and Cave were silent throughout the walk, though Vert decided to speak to Captain U.S Les, chuckling at the thought of even doing so. "Captain, if more creatures are to attack us, your army will protect us, correct?" Vert asked, causing the Captain to get out of his daze and back into the cold, harsh reality. While he probably didn't hear the entire question correctly, the Captain decided to lay out all of his cards on the table.

"Y-Yes, Lady Green Heart! My men will be chastised greatly for their conduct during that last battle. From here on out, we will protect you, no matter the cost!" the Captain stated, placing a fist over his chest. Nonetheless, Vert chuckled into her hand.

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope we have a pleasant journey, and I pray for your safety," Vert said, almost causing Cave to chuckle after she realized the situation Captain U.S Les will be in. The Captain looked at her strangely, but smiled carefree, turning his attention to his three guards that followed them, who all but continued to apologize to him as they continued their walk forward. Vert did hope for that safety, but damn, she loved meaningful names.

Yet, something began to haunt her in the back of her head. Why did she feel the need to laugh in the presence of this man? Why was she being sadistic around him, when in reality she was quite the kind and respectable woman? It all seemed strange to her, and for a moment, Vert felt as though others were watching her; no, not the people in her party, or that feeling of the person behind her, but instead people watching from high above. High, _high _above, possibly all the way to Celestia herself. _Such a strange feeling…shake it off, girl. You got more important things to worry about than some strange, child-like fears._ With that, the Leanbox CPU shoved away her strange fright, and continued with the rest of the group, seeing the button in the distance.

"Hey, Neptune," Noire suddenly said, peaking the interest of the purple-haired Goddess. With a question mark being produced, Noire had no choice but to continue what she was about to say. "About what happened with Uni, I don't want you to worry about it, okay? I know that was mean to just…snap at her, but I'm just too stressed to think, you know? Should I apologize?" Noire asked. Neptune was busy looking at the button, but even though she had a one-track mind, she did have the ability to listen intently when not looking at the person talking.

"I don't know, Noirey, you kind of ticked her off. I would apologize, but that might be hard with her. As shown by some fanfictions, Uni could be a typical-yet-dark tsundere, so it might be hard to win her over. Try giving her love and affection, like I give to Nepgear!" Neptune said, motioning her arms to form an air-heart, her eyes sparkling and dazzling like a child who just saw and obtained their favorite toy. Noire nodded helplessly.

"Yeah, it will be hard. Crap, I'm an idiot for snapping. She'll probably do something that will be regrettable…and no, Neptune; I'll love her as a normal sister, not the strange way you love your sister. Blanc's way of caring for her family is normal, your's is…just creepy. And stop saying weird, fanfiction stuff!," Noire replied, her tongue sticking out in disgust. She was half-expecting Neptune to reply to her in anger and pain from her remark, but she saw that Neptune was now fully focused on the button, constantly pressing it, even though in the end it was useless until the others on the other side of the wall pressed it at the same time.

_No matter what, _Noire thought, _I got to apologize. I'm not becoming the scrappy of this damn story…wait, what story? Stop it, dammit!_

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very, very sure, Nepgear! Just stop asking already!"

As you can tell, it was already gearing to be such a great voyage on the other side of the wall. Nepgear and the rest of the lot were pretty much silent for the most part, but as soon as they passed what had to have been the widest tree the world will ever know, Nepgear suddenly broke the silence. It probably occurred when Nepgear swore she heard crying, and after looking around for some time, she saw the tears falling from Uni, who was trying to stifle them to the best of her ability, ultimately failing as the time slipped by. It was this that caused Nepgear to constantly ask if something was wrong, and if Uni wanted to speak about it, leading to the outburst of anger from the Tsundere candidate. It made the others in the group rather concerned over how she'll get through this whole situation in that state.

"Seriously, can you guys ever resolve a stupid problem? I mean, damn, she was freaked out that you almost shot her, big deal. It didn't happen, let's go," IF said rather impatiently, the heat starting to get to her violently (She had to place her coat in her hammer-space; it was _that _bad). Uni suddenly grew violent herself.

"Hey, don't say that we never solve problems! She's just too stressed right now to think, that's all. Noire can be mean, yeah, real mean…but she's also noble. If she was normal, she would thank me, you got that?" Uni yelled, stomping her foot out, glaring at IF, who was completely unfazed. IF shrugged, turning her back to the Candidate, proceeding to walk forward.

"Okay, good for you and her, now let's drop this. This is starting to sound like symbolism of alcoholism, and the less symbolism we have, the better," IF stated, stomping away to the front of the group, refusing to look back. If you happened to be paying attention to the scene, you could see how red Uni's face turned, ready to explode like a grenade, aiming directly at no one, because it was attached to her neck. You can sleep well tonight, IF.

Lyrica ran up to her friend. "Iffy, don't you think you were a little harsh? She's going through a lot," the idol said, hoping to calm her friend down. Unsurprisingly, IF actually did calm down, thanks to Lyrica's calm voice. It was always that voice that could bring IF out of a strange feeling of sadness…well, everyone is affected by it, not just her. See, no need to start any damn shipping yet; this is an official project…maybe…no…

"I'm sorry, Lyree, I didn't mean to come out as harsh. This heat's pissing me off, and those two just won't stop bitching. I'm trying to keep my cool, but this landmass is really making that impossible," IF retorted, wiping her forehead of sweat, which also pissed her off (Sweating was just so stupid of a concept. Why must the human frame exhibit the ability of releasing water and other dissolved solids at times of extreme heat?). Compa ran up to her, that huge syringe not helping the unsettled IF.

"You can't keep cool? Don't worry, Iffy, I came fully prepared, just in case it was really warm. A doctor always brings ice-packs, no matter what the situation calls for!" Compa said, bringing out one of those said ice-packs and handing it to IF. The brunette girl grabbed the ice-pack with ease, allowing her to finally smile, as she attempted to hold back some chuckles.

"Well, this wasn't what I meant, Compa…but thanks, anyways!" IF said, making Compa smile, running back to the rest of the group in order to hand out additional ones to everybody, much to their own bedazzlement and wonder. IF finally laughed, always expecting Compa to overreact after mishearing something that she said. _Oh Compa, you're still the same, _IF thought, reflecting on some cherishable memories of her youth. Lyrica was lost, of course, but she smiled as well, relieved that some happiness was produced today.

Blanc and her sisters simply tagged along, with Blanc commonly glaring at the soldiers walking with them, sometimes making a tick-tock noise, causing much grief and confusion on the soldiers' part. The little girls had no idea how to react, simply walking along, sometimes mimicking their sister in an effort to sound cool, though Ram still pouted in front of her elder. Falcom was completely lost for sure, just rolling with the motions as they walked on, occasionally stopping to follow a butterfly or smell a beautiful rose, just like a stock-heroine would do normally.

Yet strangely, both Blanc and Falcom felt this strange feeling in the back of their heads, as though something was missing or void, or simply off. Blanc felt it whenever she made that tick-tock sound, and Falcom felt it whenever she witnessed Blanc doing such. It was, beyond a doubt, strange and slightly scary, but just like Vert, they pushed this off-putting feeling aside, continuing as though nothing was going on. Nothing at all.

Uni walked isolated from the rest, shoving Nepgear away, saying that she wanted some time to think. The gun was in her hands, swinging like a pendulum in conjuction with her rough stride. She felt weak, terrible, sick, and most of all, depressed. She had no idea why all of a sudden these feelings transpired against her, leaving her to look like a sick, sad puppy on the streets. Her sister would probably blame PMS, but Uni didn't think that…strange, disturbing topic for this male author was the cause. It was too sudden and longlasting. _I don't have depression…I'm not a psycho…what is it?_

_ You could have killed me, Uni._

Her hand started to twitch, and she looked back down at her weapon, dangling lifelessly from her hand. _Noire, I'm more likely to get killed from being shot than you. Just get better, okay? I hope she could release the stress somehow…_

_ Wouldn't that be fucking fantastic?_

Uni snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. That last line was definitely not her mind, and most importantly, it was not her voice. This voice was dark, sinister, deep, and booming, piercing her soul with the mightiest spear imaginable. It was not The Phantom; his voice was sinister, but it wasn't the type that made you want to run and hide in the corner. No, this voice was that of a demon, one that hides in the darkest crevices of hell, ready to creep up and strike fear into its victims.

She knew no one else heard it, but she still looked around, seeing if there was that slight possibility, but not even Lyrica heard the voice, and thus Uni retreated back to herself. Not even Nepgear noticed that the machine gun was rising considerably in Uni's hands, all the way to the point of near her head. If Uni hadn't plugged in the safety mode, her brains would be everywhere. When she heard the click, she snapped back into reality and forced the gun back down.

_What the hell, girl; were you seriously about to shoot yourself? No, that didn't feel natural…_

_ Wouldn't that be fucking fantastic?_

It was that same voice again, and Uni started to get afraid. She was hoping for an additional scene to interrupt her, which, fortunately for her, just occurred in about…now.

"Hey, there's the button! Thank the Polygonal Gods, or whatever we say. I guess I'll press it," IF said, relieving Uni as she was allowed to forget that fucking voice. Since no one else heard her, she just kept her pride and kept quiet, as no one noticed her psuedo-suicide attempt…okay, when are people going to mention these things instead of just "letting the feeling go?" Seriously, this is the 13th chapter, and I still don't get these folk.

IF called out, hoping to get the attention of the other group. She was not at all surprised that Neptune was the one who decided to answer her. "Iffy, you made it! Man, that was a terrible time. How do you expect to be the next blue hedgehog if you can't get here fast?" Neptune questioned in her reference-mania quotes. IF snarled to herself.

"Just get ready to press the button! On the count of three, and that means that when I say three, you press the button. Got it? I don't want another train incident!" IF yelled, bringing up yet another noodle incident, making Neptune, Compa, Falcom, and Vert shiver. IF began the countdown, and after about the fourth try, they finally nailed it, making a solid clicking noise that rang throughout the forest.

The brick wall that separated them began to rumble, and in just a couple of seconds, the wall began to sink into the ground, revealing an opening that allowed both groups to reconcile. The wall opened a new passageway, revealing a door that lead to the other side, possibly to the last area that The Phantom wanted them to travel to. No matter what, Pretty much everyone ran into the door, busting it down as the hinges shattered in pieces, bringing a fist-full of grass into everybody's mouths.

Nisa was the first to look up at the new land, and unlike the dull and disturbing forest, the land was now a plains, a bright yellow and blue that glittered perfectly in the sunlight. The clearing was gigantic, as the closest trees were about half-a-mile away, with the evidents of a road perched under the scorched plants. In the distance, what appeared to be an old, decrepid house stood alone in the world, broken down due to neglect, with thick vines growing through the opened windows. It was indeed true that the land was orange and dark, but the dark appeared to only exist on the horizon lines with the trees, with the sky a beautiful orange that gave the bright yellow sun some surprising elaboration. It was as if the sky was on fire, and the land was going through the early stages of Armageddon.

In the far distance was another wall, though not big enough to conceal the contents inside. Buildings were spotted, with some being as high as a medium-sized skyscraper in Planeptune. Smoke churned into the air, filling in some dark clouds in the heavens. Watchtowers dotted the plains, some vacant, others sporting what appeared to be a bell mechanism, used for some reason that was currently unknown. With the exception of birds, nothing else appeared alive, leaving the land desolate and parched.

"Wow…It's even more uninteresting than the forest," Blanc remarked, kicking some of the grass flat under her foot. Vert coughed, standing firm as she looked over to the horizon.

"That is civilization. Whether or not The Phantom wants us to travel there, we shall visit. Perhaps they sell video games that are quite exotic!" Vert cheered, her mind already set on going back home, leaving Cave to moan in pity.

"You're right, my lady, we shall visit this new land, and emplore the power of justice on those that surely need it. Come, let's…" Nisa began, before the noise began.

* * *

Linda watched from behind, sneaking to the doorway, watching closely as the group took in this new land. "What idiots…did they ever see a plains? It's just grass and dirt, big deal!"

She took out this notebook of hers, reading each paragraph very carefully. "Okay, so I head to this town, go west, and then I'll find him. Okay, once I get him, I'll smack him and make him eat dirt, and then I'll…"

It was then that Linda heard the noise as well, though unlike the others it sounded distorted to her. "W-What the hell?" she whispered with fear, crouching behind the wall as the group began to look around. The sound was that of a bell, multiple ones at that, ringing in unison, though in this case, it sounded like there were 20 of them, spread out far and wide for the whole land to hear. It certainly hurt her ears, causing her to flinch and curl into a ball, trying to prevent a migraine form settling in. _Goddammit, what the hell is that for?_

When she opened her eyes, she caught sight of a strange aura, one that was perfectly white and heavenly, with a figure standing in the middle, one that rang very familiar to her. When she finally realized who it was, Linda nearly flipped out of her mind.

"M-M-M-Magic?"

Before she could do anything else, Magic vanished, replaced now by the scariest wooping sound she had ever heard in her life, partnered with the sound of intense stampeding.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 90, para 1:_

"…and thus, humanity truly does not implore in friendship. Friends, in our case, are just pawns to our everyday lives. Without friends, tyrants will never be formed, terror wouldn't exist, and life would be a dog-eat-dog world. Such a chilling thought, but sadly, it just might ring true when the end comes…"


	14. PART 2: The Loss of innocence

Chapter 17: In which our heroes come face-to-face with unidentified, disturbing creatures

The bells rang throughout the landmass, echoing uncontrollably in the darkened haze. Our heroes were looking about; noting some of the towers had a bell that moved back-and-forth like a pendulum, ringing an emphatic noise that touched the fear inside the girls. Civilization was still on the horizon, but this sudden distraction got the group no-short of worried.

"Why are those hideous bells ringing? It looks like daytime…can it possibly be for the afternoon hour?" Nisa pondered, muttering those words as IF looked at her in vexation. Indeed, the sun was high in the sky, but could the people of this land, if there were any to begin with, tell the difference between day and night? Everyone from Gamindustri will surely have a problem doing that; perhaps it comes from experience and instinct? Still, the noise was rather unnerving out in the dark, especially in the field of dry grass that stretched to their knees.

"Well, who cares about them? Let's just get to that town over there. I hope we could rest for a little bit," Noire said, much to everyone else's agreement. With the bells ringing to every step they take, the group continued forward to the gate that hopefully sported a nice inn for healing, like most RPG's Vert and Neptune played. Unlike the forest area, there appeared to be no living creature among them, with the only exception being some tropical birds flying high above in the heavens. The grass was certainly dead, barely having the energy to create a wave whenever one of those heat-stroke inducing winds blew by, with the dirt hiding underneath rotting away in a catastrophe of neglect, as though bugs forgot that this portion of the land even existed.

"Blanc…I'm scared…" Rom said, hiding her face with her hands, walking slowly behind the rest. Blanc turned to her, slightly aggravated by her emotions, though unlike the scenario with Ram, she felt slightly better that it dealt with the better offspring (Blanc's not a bitch thinking like that; she just cherishes quietness, that's all. Really!). She knelt down beside her little sister, glad to know that since this fanfiction tried to appeal to all masses (rated M. yeah, that makes sense), no one could sneak a peak at her…well, yeah, due to the invention of shorts (thank you, IF). Why the author included that sentence was simply for padding.

"Come on, Rom, I didn't raise you like that. What's freaking you out?" Blanc asked, much to Vert's surprise in the fact that the girl sounded rather emotional and caring, unlike the cold shell she had come to know and secretly envy. Rom released her face from the clutches of her hands and looked at her sister, teary eyed from the paranoia that they had experienced.

"Those creatures…their dead…I don't want to be here…anymore, Blanc," Rom said, starting to choke up, a tear rolling down her left cheek. Blanc sighed, grabbing a handkerchief from her non-existant pocket and wiping that tear away, grumbling to herself. She was afraid one of the children were going to experience death at some point, and not the death of hideous, god-like beings like Arfoire from a year ago. She was glad the deaths were for survival, but she knew it was going to affect the little girls no mater what. Blanc knew she had to clear the mind of the Rom right now, or else the Mina in her mind will break all the bones that she had.

"Rom, those creatures were evil, demonic beings that were sent from hell itself. Killing them was actually for the best. If they did live, the world might be overrun by demonic presences, and you don't want that, right?" Blanc said, biting her tongue as she said those lies. Who knows, maybe those weird-looking monsters _were_ from hell, and not from the natural habitat of this landmass. Then again, if they were, Blanc would feel like a jackass._Oh well, better to have some loyalty and respect in this family than the loyalty and respect of stupid creatures that want to rip my face off._

"If you say so…Blanc," Rom finished, wiping her tears away as she looked down to the ground; even in her childlike state, the pride of Lowee still ran through her blood, and it was considered an embarrasment to the mind if tears were visible, or at least it was in the author's mind. Anywho, Blanc looked over at Ram, who was curious over the situation, though she gave a puff cheek and looked away, still mad at Blanc over that last bit of anger. _Oi, _Blanc muttered in her head, _this is going to be a long…okay, someone shut up those damn bells, already!_

Indeed, the bells were getting on the nerves of pratically everyone, ringing now for approximately 2 minutes, still in the middle of the song it was interpreting. Why were those infernal contraptions even ringing at this hour? IF checked her clock on the phone and noted that it was nearing 11:30 AM, so the bells were supposed to ring the mid-hour overture; instead, there have been a total of 256 rings that the bells in conjuction provided. Whatever the reason was for these damn things to ring, Uni was simply not taking it well, aiming her gun at one of the towers. "All right, time to shut it up! Those guys over there could repair it later," Uni proclaimed, crouching as she aimed down her sights. However, Nepgear quickly ran to her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Goodness, Uni, we can't do that! It's not the correct thing to do. What if they need it?" Nepgear asked, holding Uni's shoulder tightly in order to break her aim. Of ocurse, this particular action caused our little tsundere to blush deeply, shrugging off the purple-haired candidate with haste. Noire gave the entire world a facepalm.

"Yeah, I hate it too, Uni, but we can't destroy it. We'll just voice our complaints to the people over there," Noire said rather sympathetically. Uni must admit that she was expecting more of an angry response from her older sister, but no matter what, she took her older sister's word in stride, pouting of course, attempting to avoid another confrontation. Nepgear grew worried once more, knowing that Uni would always protest whenever possible. _Heh, _she thought, _maybe I'm just worrying too much. Come on, Nepgear, IF always says not to bring yourself down…_

A gunshot sounded in the air, and the girls immediately grew defensive. The bells continued to ring above them, with the tropical birds cawing at the sudden break in the norm, flying off towards the dark masses of trees for cover. The gunshot was close, too close in fact. The bullet pierced itself into the ground right next to Nisa's left foot. While she had fought many criminals that shot at her, as well as taking some bullets to the body numerous times (She always got out of it okay somehow), this particular bullet made Nisa jump up into the heavens, her leg extended so that she can, and most likely will, perform her swift justice kick on the asshole that dared fire at her. If that kick connected to the perpetrator's face, then a megaton of damage will surely be created.

Only one problem. _Crap, where is he? _Was the line Nisa asked as she found herself pummeling towards the landmass once more. Landing with a solid "omph!" she immediately rose to her feet, dusting off her heroine-esque costume with rage in her eyes. She quickly turned to her party, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "Okay, none of you saw that, right?" Nisa questioned, feeling the flame of justice within her burning out quickly. She had gone completely rusty in this department ever since joining the force, which certainly brought her day down. The rest of the party shrugged, most saying that this goof was to be forgotten, though IF secretly recorded it with her green phone. Hey, we need laughs here, don't we?

As soon as she got herself recovered, a strong, intimidating voice rang in the air, yelling at the top of its lungs in order to fight off the persistant bells. "What in the world are you doing? Are the lot of ya stupid or something? Get to the village now!" The girls looked up at the nearby bell-tower, now noticing a new figure standing in the perch. It was wearing a form-fitting military suit that had badges and colors unfamiliar to Gamindustri's own, along with a mask that covered the top part of their heads. A fully loaded Theycac Intervention rested in his hands, with a finger on the trigger, which honestly was not the best idea when the barrel was now on his chest.

Nisa looked at him with a glare of death. "Who are you, sir? How dare you shoot in my general vicinity! Shoot again, and I'll have no choice but to deliver the sweetness of pain upon your backside!" Nisa proclaimed, ready to perform a gravity-defying jump in order to reach said-backside. The guy in the tower made a loud, audible groan as the bell behind him continued to ring in the air.

"Does it freaking matter? Get into the village now, unless you're a part of those damn Phantom followers! Crap, there's a _lot _of you. Are you all trying to kill us? Run to town, or just get out!" The guy in the tower shouted, straining his neck as veins popped out, his throat ready to just break apart and fade away. It was time for IF to take the center of the stage.

"Hey buddy, we're not 'Phantom followers' or anything like that! We're here to speak to the guy, but that's it. Seriously, though, what's wrong? Why do we have to run?" The brown-haired woman asked, also straining her voice in order to overcome the loud bell. She was afraid that the man wouldn't hear her, causing more yelling to piss her off even more, but luckily the guy seemed to have got the message, pulling the gun out and aiming it towards the horizon.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it, but you seriously must get to the village before all hell breaks loose! Quickly now, unless you want this field to be your untimely grave!" He shouted once more, readying the scope on his rifle, fixating his focus on something out in the wilderness. Captain U.S. Les, with his ego clearly taking over, took a step forward along with his selected squad, creating a fist with his right hand in order to strike a salute by pressing it on the left side of his chest. Normally he would look heroic, but thanks to the snickering by Vert and Blanc, he looked nothing more than a toddler dressed as a soldier.

"Kind sir, thank you for your concern, but what should we expect? Whatever trouble lies ahead, my squad shall eradicate it from history and life! As you all know, the R.E.D's stand for '**R**eadily available to join up at any moment to fight valiantly and **E**fficiently for our Goddesses until our hearts fully give out and we **D**ie a heroic death!'" the Captain said, with his squad cheering in response. Vert stifled her laughs, making some more acronyms in her head as Blanc still had the counter in her head. It was roughly 30 minutes left, just so you know.

The guy in tower once more groaned. "You know what, fuck you guys! I'm warning you to run to the town, and you haven't even moved a single muscle! I hope that somehow you'll…oh shit, oh shit!" The man in the tower yelled, producing a strange device that resembled the transceivers the Oracles gave to our group. While it was hard to hear him, the girls could make out some of the words. "Hurry up, guys, I see them on the horizon…fire-bombs…full-assault…burn…," was what the girls made out. The guy turned back to them.

"I don't have time to explain. Just head to the gate and run in as fast as fucking possible! They're right around the corner. Move dammit!" the man shouted once more, firing a bullet towards the forest behind the group. Everyone turned to the forest, not understanding what the entire hubbub was about. All they saw were the trees and the bushes and the darkness and the high grass and the gate and thousands of zombie-like things heading straight towards them at breath-taking speed-

"Oh, poopy," Neptune said as her goofy persona faded into a more disturbed one. Dear lord, it was as though a zombie convention brook loose on this landmass. They all had yellow eyes, arms that were too skinny, dehydrated bodies, disfigured teeth, seared faces…Nisa looked on in shock and terror as the beasts made their way towards them,

_Oh man, they're just like the dead bodies in Lastation, only now they want to eat me! It's my nightmares coming true! _Nisa shouted in her head, her eyes stunned with the sheer force of absolute helplessness and fright. The monsters all shrieked and roared, running at the speed of 5 times the processor of Lastation's latest console. They were coming in fast, though bullets started to be fired from every cardinal direction you could think of (actually, that's false, as the question must be asked over how did these people get behind the monsters so fast?).

Apparently the rest of the army from the village showed up, firing their weapons with stunning inaccuracy, hitting barely a single target. Sure, some of the monsters that were hit were simply dropped to the floor, but they quickly rose again, even more furious than before. The guy in the tower appeared to be giving orders, though he was more focused on aiming his rifle more than anything. Even with that scope he was barely hitting his targets, overshooting every bullet he had. Was this village really that dumb when it came to firearms? It made Uni and Nepgear want to cry.

"Ladies, I believe you should run to the village while you still can. The R.E.D's will make sure you surivive this terrible encounter. All troops, prepare battle positions!" Captain U.S. Les ordered, bringing his men to either crouch or stand with their weapons ready, all prepared to give their liv-can't say that with a straight face, for most of them appeared to be ready to run for their lives as well, though due to honor and pride, none took that opportunity. It is hard to decipher whether or not they could be considered heroic or just plain assholes. Take a minute to decide.

"But if you guys stay here, you might end up dying in vain," Blanc said, suddenly realizing that the jokes she was thinking of in her head were probably going to end up in bad taste later on. The Captain looked at her and laughed like a little child, holding his own weapon up-and-ready for the onslaught that was drawing ever-so near to them.

"Relax, my lady, we have been in battles a countless number of times, and we only lost 65 men! There is no need to worry. Please, go to the village before it is too late," U.S. Les said, turning his focus back onto the R.E.D's, who were all ready to die as they did, ahem, number 1 in their pants. "All troops…fire!" The Captain ordered. Soon, their highly inaccurate shoots joined the fray, with the monsters literally about 4 feet from them.

"I believe the Captain is correct. Hurry, we must run!" Vert said with a tinge of hesitance in her throat. The group simpy agreed, not willing to let this field be their final resting spot. They all turned and prepared their bodies to begin running for the far-off town, hoping that this mess will all be over. It didn't really register in their heads yet, but the bells that pissed them off before were simply dead in their towers, only now swaying calmly in the breeze that was quite sickening, to say the least.

However, as soon as the group turned, Compa noticed the gigantic, round spheres that began to fall from the sky, totaling in around the 30's mark. Compa shrieked, which caused 5pb. and IF to look up, both looking on in fright as the spheres collided with the ground. The trio had no idea if the others noticed them, but whatever that answer was, it was clear now what the guy in the tower meant when he mentioned "fire-bombs." The answer, dear readers, was nothing that could be considered pretty.

The guy in the tower was absolutely correct. All hell was about to go down here on this lofty field of death!

* * *

Chapter 18: In which our idol and her partner hang out for what might be the last time

When Lyrica came back to her senses, she found her mouth filled with dirt and weeds, with her vision completely blurry to the scenery around her.

After what might have been a century, her eyes came back to full-working order, with the setting of this fanfiction coming back in complete stride. She rubbed her temples as she spat out the residue of the landmass, completey disgusted over the fact that the ground tasted _good_, though it was a taste she could live without. She looked around herself, still remembering that they were on Lan16, and there were what appeared to be zombies chasing after them in an open field. Yet, something was clearly off. _Am I still on the field? Why is everything…_

She gasped as soon as she realized the situation that she was in.

The purest orange she had ever seen was now slowly consuming the grass that once reached up to tickle her thighs. Fire was all around her, stretching up to touch some of the trees that were simply unlucky enough to be rather close to this scene. All around her was an endless display of flame, burning with the intensity of a thousand-suns, the warm climate and plenty of fuel surely not helping her situation. She quickly got up and placed a hand over her head, the intense heat sucking out the very life of her. If the fire setting her ablaze didn't claim her, then it would be the smoke that decided to linger on the ground as well. It was this chilling thought that made her quickly run up to the next clearing.

"Oh no, I hope everyone is okay," Lyrica worried herself. She heard plenty of bullets being fired, along with shrieks and screams (she couldn'ttell if they were from the zombie-like creatures or not) inside the blaze, making her wonder how she was relatively fine. She was on the side of the plains, trees hugging her to the left as a house was visible, the one that was old and decrepid. How did she wind up here in the first place? _The spheres…did they launch me all the way over here? How in the world…_

She had no time to think. The monsters could be anywhere, and the fire was growing too close to her, the heat burning her pale skin. She could feel some heavy sweat being produced on her face, with her head soon growing a headache from the sudden shift in temparture (from warm to _really _hot, I guess). "That house hasn't gotten hit yet. I need…to get there," Lyrica muttered to herself, gripping onto her electric, weaponized guitar (she found it right next to her, just for the sake of pure convienence) as though her life depended on it. The house was made of pure wood, so she assumed that it would catch fire rather quickly, but for now it was the only shelter she could find, and the path leading to the town ahead was blocked by the intense rays of fire. The creepy, disturbing house on the side of the plains will sadly have to do.

As she walked towards her destination, she became increasingly paranoid. She commonly looked behind to see if something was around the corner, and always checked each and every tree next to her to see if something was watching. So far, so good. "Please, let me be okay…let everyone be okay," she prayed under her breath, her guitar being held just like an axe. She could see the outside stairs clearly now, and with the greatest hesitance since the last time I used those two words, She began to ascend up to the door, hoping that the fire would take its time to claim this lovely-rotten house. Man, this is the worst adventure ever.

As soon as she turned that crystal-like doorhandle, she knew that this decision was going to be regrettable. Once the door opened, one of the zombie-like creatures grabbed her from behind, locking her in a chokehold before throwing her to the dirty ground once more. Her guitar was thrown off just a little bit out of reach, and with her mind in shambles, she tried desperately to grab it in order to defend herself; no weapon equals no chance of surviving. Sadly, as soon as she managed to flex her fingers enough to touch it, the monster that slammed her to the ground flipped her over to face the sky, as well as his hideous face. It was snarling and panting like a wild dog, thick saliva dropping onto her clean, pretty face. She seriously wanted to throw up.

"No, please, don't!" Lyrica shouted as the monster began to slam its fist into her stomach, making her cough and wince with each and every blow she succumed to. The monster was laughing viciously, his eyes rolling about in his head as though they both had a mind of their own. She felt blood being produced from her mouth, clearly not helping the truama she had on her head or the pain in her fingers. _Why am I getting hurt so much in this tale? Does the author really hate me? _She thought, though just like Blanc and Vert, she felt disturbed thinking like this. Unfortunately for her, being beaten to death blocked out these chilling thoughts, as the monster became the vocal point for her attention. She began to cough up blood as the monster began to pry its finger towards her exposed stomach.

_So this is how it ends. I'm so sorry, everyone. IF…Epica…forgive me…_

_ "_Hiyahh!" IF shouted as she flung on of her knives. The monster looked up for a split second before it was knocked off the idol. The knife implanted itself inside its neck, causing it to flail about inconsistently on the floor, blood spraying in every direction. Still in the daze, Lyrica looked up to see an angel staring back at her, extending an arm out for her to grab a hold of. Even though her belly was red and her mouth equally so, she couldn't help but smile as the angel grew concerned for her. Even when her mind registered the angel as IF, she still couldn't help but smile at her savior. _Oh Iffy, always there to save me._

"Come on, Lyrica, get up! We don't have much time. I'm sorry I took so long…jeez, you're bleeding!" IF said as she took the idol off the ground. Regaining her balance, Lyrica was practically hunched over, holding her belly that, while not bleeding, was on the verge of collapsing within itself. While these creatures looked very limp and weak, they sure could provide a mean punch. "Do you need help?" IF asked in haste. Lyrica, while in intense pain, shook her head.

"No, I should be fine. We have to get inside. It's the only way into the village…I'm sorry I had to bother you like this," Lyrica said in a state that IF could only describe as a trance. Picking up her guitar as well, IF nevertheless helped her friend by offering her shoulder.

_I'm so sorry, Lyree, I didn't mean to take long. Oh, I hope you'll be fine, _IF thought as worry plagued her head. Hopefully she was in a trance because of shock, which would hopefully go away with time. They entered the house, quickly shutting the door behind them.

"Crap, now what?" IF said, looking out the vine-infested windows at the outdoors that were still covered by flame. She saw a dozen people firing their weapons at the creatures, though how they could even be pretending to aim with the inferno jumping around them was anyone's guess. She, like Lyrica, had no idea what became of the rest of the party, though unlike Lyrica, she actually didn't really worry about it. As long as Neptune was nearby, somehow everyone got out of even the most ridiculous of situations. If only IF and Lyrica wound up with her…man, it hurt IF to think like that.

Lyrica was looking around at all of the rooms, hoping to find another feasible exit, but the only things she could find were two windows that were at least away from the blaze, but were currently under inspection from the creatures outside. The only other option IF could think of was to exit from the side door that was located in what might be the dining room, though considering how old this building look, every room looked the same. There was no furniture, no rugs, no originality; besides the stairwell next to her that might as well be useless, the house was completely barren. The heat began to seap in through the cracks around the house, and IF realized that unless they left right now, this house might become a furnace in a matter of seconds.

_But if we take the side door, then we'll be directly in the fire's path. Crap, this is stupidly annoying,_ IF thought, trying to be a strategist for just a moment. It seemed that no matter what, the possibility that death was going to be there to greet them was all-too high. Take the windows, the monsters get you; take the door they entered from, the monsters and flames get you; take the side door, the flames consume you. Wow, what an interesting predicament. IF had to admit that compared to the other adventures she ended waltzing into, this one was certainly the deadliest. At least when it came to Arfoire, you had a shot!

She quickly looked out the window towards the blinding flames. Squinting as the smoke rose in the room (making her cough), she checked every part of the plains, seeing the glowing orange looking back at her. It was hard to make out, but while she was looking, she noted that everyone that still remained outside were simply standing next to the flames, standing on ground that still had yet to catch fire. This revelation made IF realize that there was a path that lead straight out of the fire, allowing them to escape straight towards the mighty gate to the north. It will be rough, given that the flames were starting to creep onto the guns of the people (IF didn't even think that was possible), but if both of them timed it, they were saved. At this point, she just had to hope that everyone else made it out okay.

"Screw it. Lyrica, we're taking the side door. It's our only option," IF said, quickly grabbing Lyrica's wrist just as she walked back into the room. Her eyes were at least coming back to looking sane; that's always a good thing. IF wished she could wipe that blood off her friend's mouth, but right now was definitely not the time. 5pb. could feel the heat, and understood why IF wanted to get out of there that fast, but her expression still kept that disturbing look to it.

"The side door? But that means we're-"

"Going to run through the fire. If I'm seeing right, we could make it if we follow a path. Those idiot soldiers should help us along the way. Hey, it's a lot better then dying here!" IF interrupted, grabbing hold of some of her knives, in case some of the monsters were able to withstand the bountiful flames. With Lyrica attached by the wrist, both of the girls began to head towards the door, hoping that the Polygonal Gods will shine some hope and luck upon them.

Polygonal Gods do not like heretics, Miss IF, if your still one in this continuity.

An explosion sounded behind them, and both girls fell to the ground. IF quickly recovered, her eyes ringing, blocking out every other form of sound that could be made during this time; she could feel a part of her hair burning, but the confusion of being knocked down forced her to not care. When she looked up, she saw that the whole house was now engulfed by the mighty flames, with a major chunk of the house blown to smithereens. _What the hell? Are these guys crazy? _When she did notice her burning hair, a strong scream from her, and she quickly brushed off the painful flames; she was not becoming a bob-cut this easily. _Holy shit its warm!_

"Iffy, look out!"

IF realized that Lyree was still next to her, and when she saw the idol (who apparently was not hit by the bomb this time) pointing to the roof, IF knew something terrible was about to occur. The roof was still intact, but many holes were burrowed, allowing some of the monsters to climb through. She saw three leap inside, dropping to the floor in an instant, growling and roaring as saliva evaporated from their mouths. IF was able to take one of the creatures down before, but being that her bearings were still relatively beaten up, she wasn't able to take out her knives. If only the term "oh crap" could describe so much more.

She was lucky that 5pb. was there, otherwise there would be one dead IF on the floor. The creatures were definitely strong (ask Lyrica), but from was being shown, they all ignored Lyrica and advanced on IF. That simple goof allowed our idol friend to lash out that guitar of hers and smash one of the creatures in head. It did not ludicrously gib the head like Blanc's hammer would, but it did cause it to pass out almost immediately. The other two now focused their attention on the idol, growling with their hands low to the ground, ready to jump onto the poor, unfortunate Lyrica. IF, now free from worry of being ganged up upon, slowly stood up, hoping her balance would be key as the heat began to overwhelm her. Grabbing a knife, she quickly flung it towards one of the monsters, successfully implanting it inside its back.

It let out a shrill cry, jumping up and down as it tried to scratch that sudden itch. Saliva poured out like rain as it frolicked around, making whooping noises with each jump. The other creature watched the other move about like this, and for a moment, both of our heroines thought that these creatures were no short of stupid. However, the unharmed creature quickly ran to the hurt one, and plyed the knife out of its back, surprisingly wiping the blood away as well. This caught 5pb. and IF by major surprise, both in the fact that these creatures did have brains, as well as setting them both into scared territory; "Crap, they're smarter than I thought," IF said in silence as both creatures looked at the two girls in an equal stance.

Their yellow eyes pierced through the idol, and soon she felt locked once more, her armed guitar shaking as her muscles began to fail her. She could clearly feel the throbbing in her belly, and the blood on her mouth began to seep out just a little more; fright and stress do not help injuries, people. The zombie-like beings stared them down, analyzing their every flinch, every muscle twitch that could easily speak the end for them. There was no doubt about it; these guys understood when weapons were involved, and apparently they could strategize. They might attack like uncivilized dogs, but in the end, they thought exactly like the beings they looked like, and that made our heroes nervous as the monsters raised their claws.

The smoke began to grow thicker inside the building, and IF speculated that the temperature must have been near 100 degrees (roughly 38 Celcius), baking each and every one of them. It simply did not help that the building grew its own set of blaze when the bombs went off, igniting the adjacent rooms around them._ I guess we aren't trying the windows after all. Dammit, we're wasting too much time. How do we kill these things?_

IF looked at her friend, praying that she would somehow strike the two in her way, though what she saw instead was a face filled to the brim with determination. As the creatures made their advance, Lyrica looked down at her guitar, her face not filled with sorrow, fear, or stress, but instead filled with…nothing. There was absolutely no emotion present on her, which made one wonder what IF meant when she saw determination. Her fingers, still slightly bandaged, were now hovering over the strings of her trusted guitar, a pick wedged between her fingers. The monsters were indeed perplexed by this sudden change of emotion, but they knew that they still had the advantage. All they had to do was jump and slash off her face…

"Iffy, duck now!"

IF had no idea what exactly prompted her to do just that, instead of questioning her friend over why she had to do so, which honestly made much more sense. The brunette ducked to a squatting position, her lungs relieved that the smoke around her was finally away. She had no idea what 5pb. had up her nonexistant sleeves, but seeing that her eyes turned into that strange frequency-symbol style, she knew that the monsters were not getting out of this one unscathed.

"Kyyyahhhhh!" Lyrica suddenly shouted, and before the monsters could so much as look at each other in confusion, a gigantic burst of electricity broke through her guitar, smashing its way throughout the house. She was correct in saying that Iffy should duck, as that bolt would probably make anyone caught in it explode in brain matter gray. Those two creatures certainly stood no chance against her split C/E chord, throwing them straight into the air, crashing through the wall of the house, and into the inferno nearby. Relax, readers, Lyrica never used this guitar when in concert or in the studio; this one was strictly for fighting purposes only.

"Damn, Lyree, that was amazing," IF said as she still remained crouched. Lyrica finished up her "cool" pose, smiling at first, before going into a coughing fit. The smoke was getting way to heavy now, and if she didn't crouch like IF, she would surely pass out. "Crouch, Lyree. We gotta move!"

Lyrica did as she was told and squatted along with IF, coughing still, though her lungs were also thankful for the change of atmosphere. It was still dreadfully warm, however, and their sweat glands were surely growing pissed off. This house was burning down on top of them, and if they didn't move swiftly and quickly, then they were to be entombed for the rest of their lives. Grabbing Lyrica's wrist, the two of them inched their way towards the wooden side door.

IF sighed in relief at the sight of a burning plank of wood above them still being held firm, so it wouldn't collapse right on top of them. That would be the worst thing imaginable, no? IF knew she had to stand to open the door, seeing as how it was going to open towards them, instead of opening to the outside like usual. Holding her breath (directing Lyrica to do the same), IF quickly turned the knob, allowing the door to finally move on its hinges, after being at rest for at least six decades. The outside, at least at this side of the outdoors, was actually untouched by the flames, and the bizarre coolness brought relief to their sweaty countenances.

Besides a dead monster, none of the creatures were lurking around here, and the flames were still unfazing the path towards their sanctuary. IF noticed that the guys that were firing before were now dead, claw marks stretched over their bodies, most being burnt as the flames took over. Their faces were chewed off, straight to the bone if you will, with brain seeping out of where the eyes used to be. From a certain standpoint, it looked as though someone had ice-cream, and spilled it all over the place. IF had to hold her hand over her mouth, shocked by this dasterdly scenario; she would be lying if she said that there was no throw-up about to be produced from her.

Before she finally took a step, a guitar was hanging in front of her, Lyrica standing next to her, a puff cheek on her face. "Let me make sure its safe, Iffy. You took time to save me, so let me be the scout this time, okay?" the idol said, a genuine smile plastered over her face. Normally, the semi-tsundere would've rightfully protested this decision, as it was clear that IF could hold her ground a little bit better than Lyrica. However, probably due to the exhaustion from the constant heat and smoke, coupled with the bizarre bodies lying on their path to victory, she only nodded, probably not even thinking to her full capacity. Can't blame the girl, honestly.

Lyrica stepped outside and checked the forest to the right, peering through the darkness, making sure that the birds were the only things watching them (she concluded that they were). She then made sure that the only things alive on the path were monsters that were succuming to the intense flames that ate at their oxygen. After concluding these basic situations, she turned back to her friend, who was still pretty shell-shocked to say the least.

"Okay, Iffy, I think we're good to go," Lyrica said, extending her hand.

IF looked down to see this hand, trying to brush off those sickening photos of the dead bodies with their brains splattered about. Her eyes were wide, but nevertheless she still gripped her friend's hand, turning her head so the bodies were not visible. This manuvuer was probably the best thing she could have done, or by far, the worst thing she had ever done until now.

"L-Lyrica!" IF shouted, causing the idol to look confused, before turning her head to see where IF was looking. Once she saw it, she screamed in terror at the unholy sight before her. Through the thicket of trees that Lyrica just confirmed held no creature of threat were strange vines that equaled the size of her twice. The house being burned to the ground caused these vines to reawaken and seeing the two girls all alone and scared made them focus their attention on the prize. Both of the girls stared at them, the vines swinging back and forth in the wind, thorns protruding from their sickening, green overcast of moss.

One of the vines grew overzealous, and grabbed Lyrica by the ankle when she was completely helpless. "Ah," was the only noise she could make before she fell to the ground face-first, feeling her entire body being dragged away by the strong, natural/unatural creation of life. "Help me, Iffy. Oh god, help!"

IF realized the situation she was in and prepared her battle position, though this quickly ended when another vine grabbed her ankle as well. "Shit, no…" IF yelled as she landed on her back, being dragged into the dark forest as well. Unlike Lyrica, who was caught in shock, flailing her guitar as she was being brought on the worst ride of her life, IF was still filled with the sense of combat rage, quickly taking out her knife and slashing the everloving god out of the vine (it was hard to reach it, being that she was being dragged like a helpless, caught animal, but she managed to do it). The knife sliced through the vine like paper, spraying a bluish color all about, staining IF's favorite outfit for adventuring.

With the most striking shriek she had ever heard, the vine quickly escaped into the shadows of the forest, making a trail of blue follow in its wake. IF felt her ankle throb as it finally was exposed to the elements again, and once IF was completely still, she took a moment to catch her breath. That was the most disturbing thing she had ever encountered. Who would've thought that vines were scarier than freaking lunatic zombies? At least she was finally-

"IF, help!"

She quickly got off her relaxation period and looked over to a lone birch tree, where Lyrica was holding on to a lone branch for dear life, her eyes tearing at the thought that she was going to get eaten by something unknown. IF looked on in horror for a second as 5pb. struggled with the vines, other ones coming over to support dragging her in. She just couldn't move; even though Lyrica was her friend, and she could clearly see that she was in desperate need for help, IF just couldn't move those legs of hers. It could be that the sight she saw was actually happening, and she was lucky to have gotten out of it; it could be that some of the vines deliberately sliced into Lyrica, forcing her to wince and thus loosen her grip; hell, it could be that in less than 20 minutes, the world that she once knew turned into a dark and desolate wasteland.

"Please, Iffy, I can't hold on!"

_Shit! _

IF was lucky. She broke out of the mold and quickly ran to her friend, jumping swiftly before landing in front of the bluenette. Putting her knife away, IF grabbed hold of one of Lyrica's hands, tugging with all her might. "Hold on, Lyree, I'm getting you out of here alive!" she yelled, struggling against the might of the vines. The tears on Lyrica's face…oh, it was so painful to look at. Do you know how hard it is to describe our favorite idol in peril?

IF's plan was to pull Lyrica enough for one of the vines to reach for her. Before it could grab her, she would pull out her knife and slice it to smithereens, hopefully causing whatever this thing was to leave them alone. She had too much trauma for one day, and seeing her friend being dragged out into oblivion will certainly not help her in the slightest. No, she was getting Lyrica off this landmass alive, even if it kills her!

But oh! It was painful for IF to hang on, as the vines were simply overpowering her. Whatever creature boosted these appendages was certainly the strongest being alive, possibly even moreso than Arfoire was (though Arfoire was turn-based, so it was hard to judge). She yanked and yanked, but IF just couldn't get this fatal tug-o-war to be in her favor. She was quickly running out of breath, and her shoulders began to ache like all hell, but no matter what, Lyrica's life was on the line. She will win this damn battle, and get the fuck off Lan16!

Did IF ever cheat in a game like this? She probably could have won if she did, but unfortunately, her sense of honor was overbearing, allowing the vines to pull off a dirty trick of their own. As IF focused on pulling Lyrica with the greatest strength she could muster another vine creeped up, completely undetected; Lyrica could have said something, but she was too hurt to even focus on anything. The vine loomed over to IF, and with a swift motion, lodged one of its plentiful horns into her chest.

She wished adrenaline would kick in, but her body was just too tired to cooperate. The thorn slashed into her, spraying some of her own blood onto the moss-covered beast. IF refused to scream from this pain, though she had the hardest time holding it back, her teeth clenched as very audible groans escaped. Still she refused to let go. She…couldn't lose, right?

Sadly, there was one major problem: if she kept holding on to Lyrica, then the thorn will start to go deeper into her chest cavity, and so many possible outcomes could come from that. She didn't know it, but IF was actually far into the forest now, with the light of the blaze, while still touching her back, was starting to fade off. Lyrica was pretty drowsy now, feeling the loss of breath and the pain she had been the receiver of. However, she still had some sense, and knew that no matter what, IF will not be successful at doing this. She saw IF pull out the knife, but another vine snatched it away, actually slashing IF across the cheek as it moved about.

It made Lyrica cry: let IF continue to pointlessly struggle, or let go, and sacrifice herself, so that IF could still survive?

_I'm so sorry, Iffy…Epica…everyone….oh, I'm so sorry…_

"Lyrica, what are you doing?"

_So, so sorry…I wanted to help…I guess I did end up getting in the way…_

"Stop it, Lyree, stop!"

"Goodbye, Iffy."

IF still tried in vain to hold on, but Lyrica began to shake her hand about, and eventually she was released from IF's grip. IF fell to the ground, allowing her to watch as 5pb. was dragged into the unknown, the vines leaving with her down the trip to hell. Even when she was being dragged away, she smiled at IF, as though everything was going to be all right.

_Dust in the wind…_

"No! Lyrica, come back! Come back!"

_All we are is dust in the wind…_

"Lyree! Fuck you all! Fuck you! _Fuck you!"_

No matter the damage that she had endured, IF continued to limp forward, waving her fist in the air as tears began to be formed. She was deep into the forest now, the light being nothing but a glare. She ended up stumbling, crumbling to the ground like a child. She continued to slam her fist into the ground, not caring that her knuckles began to bloody up. The tears were not stopping, and she didn't want to stop, either, but no matter what she did, she wasn't going to catch up. Lyrica, the famous Gamindustri Idol, beloved by many a fan and friend, beloved by everyone in the group…beloved by IF, herself, had been dragged off into the darkness, possibly to never be seen ever again.

"Fuuuck!" IF shouted into the air, slamming her fist one last time into the ground, before finally breaking, sobbing uncontrollably. That image of her smiling as she was dragged to her persumed death will forever be etched into her mind, and she will be haunted by it for the rest of her life. Her friend was gone. Everything was gone. IF was gone.

Vert noticed the two during the struggle. She was in the middle of the blaze, fearing that she was only one that hadn't made it back. She actually killed plenty of the zombies (though it hurt her over every single death, making her feel rather woozy to the stomach) on her way, but the fire was certainly not helping her chances at survival. Alas, she finally made it to the clearing, which was where she noticed the two being dragged away. She ran to them as fast as she could, not transforming in fear that she will be too weak, hoping to stop the dark scenario, but by the time she made it to the forest, 5pb. was gone.

She found IF, curled into a ball, sobbing. Vert must admit that she had never seen IF cry like this; maybe when her phone broke, but that was different. This was the most painful cry she had ever heard. She couldn't believe it; Lyrica was gone. All those ill remarks she made about her music being a bad influence in terms of the drug use…she felt so terrible. _I'm…forgive me, 5pb._

No matter what she witnessed, she grabbed IF and held her over the shoulder, hearing the crying girl constantly saying "come back…come back…," forcing Vert to produce her own set of tears. This damn landmass; no wonder it was gone for so long. Nothing redeemable happened so far, as conflict after conflict has been ensued and endured. Now, a death had most likely occurred in the group, which truly pissed off Leanbox's Goddess.

As her feelings burned uncontrollably, she ran towards the gate.

And the light, beautiful against the hell below, grew even brighter as the flames rose to the sky.

* * *

Linda managed to survive that whole ordeal; don't ask her how. She managed to run deep into the forest on her right (She wanted left, but right looked safer) at the gate, never stopping to look back. One of the creatures was on her tail, but after what had to be a millenium, it lost interest and ran a different direction, allowing our favorite chew-toy to rest by a lake. She sighed as she sat on a rock.

"Pirachu, where the hell are you?" she wondered out loud as she bathed her feet in the water, praying that there were no pirahnas or any sort of junk floating within the depths. Where was she even going, anyways? Could that city that those bitches were heading towards be where they're holding him? _Possibly, _she thought, b_ut why would it be so easy? Wouldn't the bastards have a better hideout?_

She shook her head. She had absolutely nothing to work with. She saw those…people wind up on the landmass, and…that was it. Yep. Nothing Phantom didn't leave any clues for her, so seriously, what the fuck? They could have at least been more descriptive in their cryptic letters, but she guessed that disturbing letters sent to girls with no information on them was all the rage these days. What if Pirachu wasn't kidnapped in the first place? What if this was all an elaborate prank for shits-and-giggles? Oh, if that was the case, she will really snap the guy's neck. Remember when I said she was pretty loyal?

Still, besides the damn rodent, one thing continued to cross her mind. Was that really Magic back there? Linda saw her for a split second, but that split second allowed her to fully take in her appearance, and she looked exactly the way she remembered her. The only difference was that she was wearing a rather big coat, concealing most of her body, most likely because of the PG-policy thingy that this M-Rated fanfiction has (Linda wasn't complaining. Less fanservice, the better). Still, her face was exactly the way she remembered it…perfectly symmetrical and slightly devious, though showing a sense of compassion.

Only Linda knew that side of her, as everyone else viewed the glorious woman as a well-intentioned jerkass. Magic was a beautiful woman, and strong too, never forget that! She was kind, and while her intentions were ultimately for the evil side, she still had a heart of gold that only Linda could see. It was this that made Linda cherish her memories of the specific leader, as opposed to the memories of the fake Magic that was created later on (the only time she actually _rooted _for the heroes) for Arfoire's sake. What other evil being gave their time to donate to charity, even if the credits were illegal? It was true, Linda missed her.

But was that her? "No, wasn't her…she's dead, Linda, and she ain't coming back," Linda said to herself, taking her feet out of the water, lying down on the rock as she looked up at the orange sky. She knew that Magic would not allow her to dillydaddle in the past like this, so she immediately erased any nostalgia feelings for just the moment of time. She had other things to worry about, like a rat that was inferior to his own race.

"Okay, Pirachu, I'll just keep tagging along with these girly-girls; who knows, maybe I'll find you down the line. That will be good, wouldn't it?" Linda said to herself, smiling surprisingly in the wake of the situation she resided in. Hearing the screams from before, she could tell that the violence was bad here on Lan16, either proving that she was in danger, or that she was in a crappily-written fanfic with too much padding. Either way, she stood up and stretched, ready to find her damn partner.

If only she had a _freaking weapon!_

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 784, para 5:_

"…and I know that everyone dies, which is why I began this research. I must continue it, in the hopes that I could extend life past its natural conclusion. It is simply the only possible, as death could mean life in celestia, or life in the deepest portions of hell. Yet, many have stated that when they die, a strange phenomenon occurs where everything responds. We call it the 'New-Game-Plus' syndrome, and it seems that if it does occur, what's the point in living if you are destined to die at the exact same time, every iteration? It boggles the mind, certainly, but will my invention work? Will D-Pah ever answer me in the hopes that a discovery concerning Celestia will be granted, hopefully putting these mysteries to an end? My word, I believe I have finally begun my descent into madness…"

* * *

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	15. PART 3: Corporatol City Encounter

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* * *

Part 03:

Revival of a Goddess

* * *

Chapter 19: In which our heroes begin to feel pain and misery before The Phantom

The group, somehow and in some way, made it to the village with barely any injuries sustained. It was clear that they were all exhausted from doing so much running in the intense heat, which was only exemplified by the mighty flames and the stress given by those damn lunatic zombies. Now that they stood within the mighty town, pretty much all of them collapsed to the floor, sighing as peace was finally given to them, if only for a short while. For just a short minute, they quickly forgot about The Phantom and his strange scheme to rid of the end of the world, and instead they found solace in remembering the greatest memories from each of their pasts. They still had a lot of work to do, and in short time as well, so they needed to rest while they still can.

Out of the group, Vert and IF were the lasts one to enter, with the mighty doors of the village slamming shut right behind them; no way in, no way back out. There were still some soldiers from the village left behind, but apparently this was not a concern for the village, as no one came to their aid. Once those gates were closed, no one was allowed back in until the next bell, or at least that was what Neptune heard as she lay on the floor, eavesdropping on two locals who didn't bate an eye to them.

The village they were in was quite…strange, if I should say that, but not because it held alien architecture or benevolent buildings that the world has not yet encountered; no, those didn't exist on this landmass, and the buildings that were present were simply sporting the appearance of buildings from the early 20th century. Most of the buildings were seriously in need of renovation, as parts of the walls began to crumble to the ground, with windows that were broken and door-frames that were barely existent in the first place; it was all a major mess for the Gamindustri heroines. The streets were asphalt, but to fit the theme they all felt slippery, and many had to wonder how the cars managed to ride upon them. Don't make me explain the sidewalks, which were overrun with weeds and cracked like there was no tomorrow. Did these people ever hear of the word "repair?"

Blanc was probably the only of the group that was still pretty vigilant, standing tall as she actually took her time to investigate the place. She didn't care how shitty the town looked; she just cared for the fact that everyone, besides the two that Neptune was listening to, were staring at them, bug-eyed and jaws to the floor. She had to admit, she never met so many people who wore such classy outfits (well, they would be classy if the obvious dirt stains weren't present), with tuxedos and expensive-looking dresses adorning the majority of the population; the peddlers and shoe-shiners were of course less classy, but even then. _What the hell? What, did we go back in time or something? Shit, I don't like change!_

After resting for maybe 20 minutes, the entire group literally jumped up at the same time, finally getting a gander of the place for the first time. Noire grimaced at the village. "Really, this is it? Man, I knew this landmass looked ancient, but this is ridiculous!" The Lastation Goddess muttered, looking at the ground, which she found to be much more pleasant to the eyes. Neptune, however, was jumping around in joy.

"Oh, I love journeying to the past. Hmm, let's see…ohh, people! Let's see if I could speak their tongue! Um, okay…boy, look at them fat-heads! Man, they sure have nice lookin' stompers on them feet; perhaps they had the lettuce; were they pennies from heaven? Hi-de-ho, neighbors, show me the killer-diller and I'll spare your dead hoofers my eye, hm?" Neptune finished, looking as though she was supreme in her knowledge of 40's slang, obviously just making the author look up the specific slang for her (possibly using it wrong in the end). Noire's jaw dropped to the ground, not because of surprise at her sudden knowledge, but because she looked so foolish right now. Even Compa sighed in disbelief.

Neptune had her eyes closed, but when she opened them up again, she saw the people of the town glaring at her, making her happy countenance fade away, replaced with an embarrassed one. "Hey, come on, now, I'm just trying to be the friendly one here! My name's Neptune, and I hail from Gamindustri. You can't see it through the trees right now, but if you see that cheerful bunch-o-landmasses, that's the place! Look, you can actually see that awesome light up there!" Neptune said, sealing off her kindness by offering a hand to the closest civilian around. Sadly for her, everyone backed away from her, as though she carried the BSOD virus Vert despises. Ram shook her head.

"M-Maybe they don't understand us?" the little girl tried to rationalize, though her big sister quickly disagreed.

"No, that can't be it. The people outside spoke our language. I guess since Neptune was their first foray into knowing Gamindustri, they have a poor image of us already. Congrats there, Neptune," Blanc snarked. Neptune looked at her with downtrodded eyes, pouting like a little child. Vert, being the one that out of all them appeared to fit in already, decided to take the center plate.

"Um, excuse me for some of my friend's poor attitudes (_she quickly sneaks a glare at Neptune and Blanc_), but we truly are friendly. We come from a different Landmass for a specific purpose, and we would love to know if you would be so kind as to help us. Hmm?" Vert asked politely and gently, making the civilians of this town look at one another, relaxing their shoulders as the fear died down. That was the great power of Leanbox's Goddess, fulfilled by her powerful, yet passionate and sincere voice.

The crowd began to grow immense, almost to the point that it appeared that the whole village was there to witness the newcomers. It was sincerely disturbing in this regard, but nonetheless the heroines had to only wait for something to happen, as the silence began to grow unnerving.

Around the time the thousandth person appeared, everyone suddenly grew serious, and in the blink of an eye, the massive crowd turned to face behind them, quickly and diligently bowing down as a clearing was made straight down the middle. The heroes were all confused (Nisa experienced the thrill of people bowing to her, but never experienced the feeling of people bowing the other way), staring dumbfounded as souls that were forgotten idols. The road was quite dusty and brown, with a noticeable haze being produced by the rather humid climate, making the town look quite abandoned. Yet, out of the thick orange appeared a strange soul, muscular to the point of absurdity with barely a qualification of a shirt appearing on his chest. He made his way towards the group.

"Hi there, name's Neptune! Hmm, bowing…you must be the leader!" Neptune cooed, getting her happy face on once more. The man was definitely rugged, with a shadow stretched around his chin, pure black against his tanned face, which in this lighting appeared orange. His stomach had many scars, his scalp was shaggy (almost bald, though it was clearly auburn at some point in his life), and those damn muscles…how in the Polygonal Gods name was that even possible? He looked unreal, that's for sure. With an eye-patch covering his right eye, Nisa could only say that he was clearly either the biggest badass ever conceived, or the biggest evil-doer since the scenario with Red Scarf (buy the DLC now!).

His voice came out like the shell from a shotgun. "Hmm, who are you lot? Messengers from The Phantom, eh? Speak now, or I shall implant this blade into the depths of your heart!" the giant of a man said, suddenly producing a rather rusty sword out of nowhere, aiming it straight towards the eyes of Neptune and Nisa (the two in front). Clearly the man was not the peaceful type.

Nepgear was actually the one most shocked by the blade, not the ones on the receiving end. "Ah, please, don't hurt them! W-We aren't from The Phantom. Please, lower that!" she said, ready to pounce in front of her sister, ready to take the probable blow, though her sis shot her a smile, making her stop that thought quickly. The man still stared at them with that eye of his, though a faint smile appeared to be on his lips. From this expression on his face, the group could guess that he was in his 60's. With his weapon lowered, a heartfelt laugh escaped his rugged face.

"Ah, you can't be spies, anyways! You lot are barely 20 in mean; how in the bloody hey could you possibly be working for that bastard?" The man said, turning now to face the rest of the village. He was saying something (he was mumbling, making it hard to hear) to the crowd, and with a swift motion of his way-too-muscular-hand, the crowd began to dissapate, moving on towards the various buildings dotting the street. He turned back to the group. "I see your name's Neptune. My name is Mattel, and it is quite the privilege to meet you all. With those colors, I'm assuming you lot are from Gamindustri, correct?"

The group nodded in unison, still on the edge, being that this guy was probably as strong or even stronger than Blanc. Seriously, how did he get that packed?

Another laugh. "Well, certainly the rest of you have name's to go by, correct? Come on, I stated mine! The least you could do is tell me your's!" The man said, patting his chest quite hard. The group was finally losing its tension, seeing as how this…man was acting more like the kind-hearted grandpa Compa always mentions. Then again, this narrator is slightly disturbed by her grandpa, so let's try not to mention him for awhile, okay?

The group stared at him for a second before they finally made the role-call, going down the line as each girl announced both their name and landmass (if they were the Goddess/Candidate). When it got to IF, Vert answered for her, feeling terrible as she soon realized that the group noticed that something was wrong. Something, really, was missing from this whole scene. What was it? Hmm….

"Hey, where's Fivey?" Compa asked, looking around frantically with the greatest oval-eyes you could ever imagine. Indeed, the musician was not seen in the mighty number of females, causing the rest of the girls (and even Mattel) to look about. Did she run off? Was there a butterfly, causing her to give chase in order to pet it somehow? No, then Rom and Ram would be gone as well. Vert looked on, knowing that IF was in no condition to say anything at the moment. For the most part, the rest of the group thought she was tired, reasoning that she was crouched on the ground because she was running a whole lot. They didn't see what happened, and Vert had to say something. She wanted to cry.

"5pb…" she began, before almost losing her composure. The rest of the group turned to her, knowing that she said something. Cave gave her a concerned look, and Vert knew she had to finish this thought. "…5pb.'s gone."

That sent them off. Well, not Neptune, at least. "Well, yeah, that's why we're trying to find her. Do you know where she ran off to? Man, she has to be fast," the purple-hair ditz said, rubbing a hand through her hair. After hearing that, IF finally spoke.

"Dammit Neptune! 5's dead! Fuck, she's dead!" IF said, before breaking down once more, unable to hold back those cold tears, tiny puddles being formed on the ground underneath her face. She slammed her fist on the ground, bringing up age-old dust to blanket the air around them. Compa and Vert ran to her consolidation.

"D-D-D-Dead? 5pb.'s…no, Iffy, please tell me that's wrong!" Compa stammered, her vision growing hazy as her own tears began to take form. No, unless this was the worst ending possible, death simply was not an option. The only people that had the ability to die were random, expendable NPC's, evil characters, and specific monsters. A cast member, however, was refused death, unless the worst was to be expected, such as that disturbing conquest ending, which we refuse to acknowledge here on (shit, it's been done. Damn!). How could someone just perish? Hell, how could someone as sweet and innocent as 5pb. just die needlessly? No, it wasn't possible.

"Yeah, Compa, she's dead… No, no, no, she's not! I…have to go out there!" IF yelled in-between her sobs, trying to stand up before she finally remembered that she had a stab wound running down her abdomen, causing her to buckle back down. Still, she continued to attempt that escape, not exactly caring that the outdoors was filled with death and flame, or that the wound inflicted upon her was bleeding rather viciously. Compa was just glad that IF was slightly weaker right now, or else the warrior would've killed herself in vain.

"Stop it, Iffy! I…don't want to lose you, either," Compa said as she struggled, though her own emotions caved in, with her expressions of crying like a crybaby rather painful to watch, making some fans of her turn away from the computer screen/phone/other electronic device. IF ended up yielding her advance, breaking down again as she clutched her side, crying for the pain and for Lyrica's fate. How could she let go? Was she really the great person she thought she was? She couldn't even save her _fucking _friend…how pathetic.

"How…" Nepgear began, and with a simple observation, one could see that she was beginning to cry with her eyes glowing red around the sides, "…How, IF? Goodness, what happened to her?" IF still looked at the ground, barely holding herself together; It was evident that the bleeding was much more severe than the rest thought, as a portion of the ground under her was growing slightly red. It wasn't terrible, but it was clear that she will need help.

Vert witness the terrible scene, so she answered for IF as Compa turned IF over, hoping to subdue the bleeding. "5pb….she was dragged away into the forest. I can't recall exactly what it was, but it was made of vines, and they were strong. IF tried her very best to stop them, but they were hurting her deeply. I'm…I'm so sorry, IF," Vert said, placing her hand over heart in condolence (she was going to place a hand on IF, but she didn't want to interfere with Compa's investigation). IF was nearly choking now; she was supposed to be the tough one of the humans. This damn place…how miserable will it make them all? Even I find this hard to write about.

Mattel walked forward past the group, aiming towards the door where everyone ran in. "Eh, even if she was in top condition, these gates remain locked until the next bells ring. Those pesky beings are running wild right now, and if there are too much at once, you have not a chance. Maybe with fire, but that don't last long against them," he said, slapping the mighty doors rather hard, causing a frenzy on the other side as the monsters tried to claw their way through. Thank the Polygonal Gods those doors were heavy; if they weren't, this story would be short of 65-or-so-maybe chapters. You wouldn't want that, would you?

IF was still crying, but she grew angry pretty quickly. "No, open them! She's…she can't be dead! Dammit, open them!" IF yelled, trying desperately to climb up to her feet, though once more falling down due to fatigue and Compa's grip. Mattel looked at her with that eye of his, slightly growing furious at that sentence IF just gave.

"Are you crazy, child? We open those doors, them creatures will run right in! We'll be slaughtered no matter what!" Mattel yelled, stomping his rather heavy boot to the ground. It made the girls all jump in surprise. IF was still angry, but she soon began to cough sporadically, forcing her down once more. Compa was growing ever more frightened by her childhood firend's condition.

"Mr. Mattel, is there a hospital nearby? Erk, I'm not good with lacerations!" Compa asked, trying to keep her hands steady from the constant sight of bloodshed. Sure, she could treat patients that had blood over them, and hell, she didn't mind bleeding patients, but just the sight of IF bleeding out in front of her…it was strangely disgusting to the point that she couldn't even stare at her. Strange, for the cut wasn't even the worst it could've been.

Mattel relaxed the muscles on his face, returning now the smile that was everpresent before. "Ai, down the block over there. We have a trustworthy doctor there, Sir Bon Tobias, yes. I hope she gets well, now," he said, pointing towards a rather rusty-looking house. With that, Vert agreed to help, and both Compa and her brought IF down (though the warrior refused to go to the doctors without a fight). It was still unsettling to hear the heart-broken IF crying her mind out as she went to hopefully be cured. It made the atmosphere that much heavier.

Nisa was just staring out into space. Her breathing was terrible, and her mouth was opened wide. She couldn't stand that much longer, as her body grew weak from the sudden news. _S-Someone's…gone. How could that happen? Nisa, why didn't you stop it? _Nisa yelled at herself, barely able to withstand the truth. While everyone else cried and mourned the recently supposed deceased, Nisa became infuriated at herself, and without even knowing it, began to slap herself silly. _You're the Heroine of Justice, and you let a soul perish? What good are you? The victims of the murder, now 5pb…you're useless, dammit! _She was really getting into it, smashing both of her cheeks with her fist, eyes filled with shock and anger. It was silly in a sense, but damn, it must have been freaky to really be there.

"Hey, stop it!"

Nisa quickly snapped back to reality, looking over to her side, only to see the young eyes of Gust looking on in return. She was surely angry at the Heroine of Justice acting this way, but for what reason? Nisa would surely ask that, but Gust immediately turned with a pout, tears still prevalent in her eyes over the recent death. It was clear that Gust was still angry with her, but why did she say that? Wouldn't she enjoy watching Nisa be hurt? Oh well, at least it made the blue-haired hero stop inflicting 10 points of damage upon herself. What a strange character trait she has!

Noire tried to hide her sadness, and surprisingly she was doing a pretty good job at it. "Damn, well, I mean, everyone else is okay, right?" the Goddess asked, wanting to shoot herself there, for she thought that she sounded rather rude with that sentence. Luckily, it appeared no one reacted negatively towards her, though Blanc seemed to speak up. She was smiling, but not one of happiness, or even sadness; no, if you know that smile when people are certifiably insane, that was the one she sported right then-and-there.

"Well, not everyone," Blanc said, barely hearable behind her mumbled disturbance. Her eyes were completely blank (heh), with the only emotion present being that sickening smile. Everyone turned to her, all of their eyes wide open (besides Mattel; he had one eye wide open). Blanc's throat appeared to be jumping around as her tears began to slowly apparate. "You might have realized by now that we are done a Captain and his fellow soldiers."

It became clear to everyone that the man named Captain U.S. Les was missing, along with every soldier. The group began to question Blanc about her theory, but she answered sincerely, as she knew his fate. During the struggle with the flames and weird, zombie-people, Captain U.S. Les and all of his merry men fought valiantly, spread out in a line formation to protect the fleeing Gamindustri heroes. Even as the flames clawed at them, they continued to fire, managing to hit more targets than any of the villagers combined. Unfortunately, Blanc's countdown reached zero, and as she managed to get up from a ditch (twenty of those things jumped on her after the bomb hit, but she decimated them quickly), she saw the R.E.D's final moments, as the fire finally ate them alive. No zombie ever touched them, and even as they were burned alive, they fired until they were dead. Blanc didn't know if she should feel terrible to see cowards-turn-heroes die, or laugh at the fact that her counter was accurate. Once she grabbed both of her sisters, she knew they were gone.

When she later mentioned their fate to Vert, the Leanbox Goddess had to take a seat for a second. Even Neptune was affected, as she was the one that approved of their appearance (it was mostly Histoire, but she helped choose). Less than one day has passed, and already people have been terribly hurt or even killed, and that just doesn't happen in Gamindustri. No, it just doesn't. _I just…I am an asshole, aren't I?_ Blanc asked herself after telling the rest of the group about the nightmare scenario she experienced. Let's just say that the rest of the group was already too sad, and to avoid padding, I'll just say that they cried once more. Nisa, however, did find a newspaper amongst the almighty clutter of a bench. The main headline was:

**THE LEGEND OF PETER MARIOJ**

Was this careless soul a myth, or an actual accomplice to The Phantom?

She stuffed it away in her Prinny-bag, hoping no one noticed. Good, not even Gust managed to sneak in a good look. Once that happened, Mattel continued to pace around the group, stroking his chin as he was left in deep thought. Damn, how the hell are his fingers like that? That's just not right!

"My dear visitors, I am very sorry for your lost. It truly pains me to see such distress in tourists. Now, seeing that most of you seem to be clearing your eyes, I shall formally greet you," Mattel said, strangely out of nowhere, given how disturbing the previous scene was. In response, most of the girls were starting to view this guy as an asshole, though mostly though intuition rather than fact. Mattel continued to stroke his chin, but he soon faced the girls, extending his arms out, as if to signify the entire world was in his hands. "My friends, welcome to Corporatol City; I am the leader, as you know me by the name of Mattel, one of the many men who reign in this fair city. My wife, Hasbra, will surely enjoy meeting you, but before that could even occur, I must question your reasons for being here. It is strange to see people from…Gamindustri, you said, Neptune? Yeah, what brings you lot here?" Mattel capped off this paragraph.

You could tell that Uni hated this guy, mainly because of how strange he talked. It was too folksy; loud, but oddly grammered, and you know how Uni is a dictator over speech (what, you don't? Shit, could've sworn…). She pouted at him, and being the only one that was not exactly holding back any tears (oh, she was sad, but more angry than anything), she decided to take that specific priviledge and answer him. Oh, this is going to be good.

"Well, sir, we're here to sell girl-scout cookies, because we need the money-We're looking for the damn Phantom! You're wasting our time, so can you at least tell us where he could possibly be?" Uni said, looking like she was ready to sock this poor soul to death. Aw man, I hope she doesn't; I heard his wife is the nicest person in the world! Mattel made one of those Whelps-like faces that made Nisa cringe, and he turned away.

"You're looking for the man, eh?"

Noire stepped up, silently and softly smacking Uni on the back of the head. "Sorry, my sister can be rude, but yes, we're looking for The Phantom and we're running out of time! He gave us a week to get to him, or else-"

"He'll end the world his own way, correct? Did he mention the world ending anyways in three weeks?" Mattel asked, a facepalm being performed in front of them. Noire and the rest had to admit that they didn't see that one coming. Sure, a twist was to be expected, but from this guy and from that magnitude? Surely this guy jests! Oh well, it got Nepgear to stop crying for a little bit.

"H-How did you know? Is The Phantom that bad?" she asked, almost sounding as though she never had emotions to begin with. Mattel let out another laugh, one that this time gave off a more sinister vibe. They knew he wasn't evil, but he surely wasn't the best good guy around.

"Ha, that man's the reason this landmass fell apart! Do you think that absolutely no one ever tried to rid of him? Many ran to him, none came back. I heard he began to send the message that the world is going to end eventually to random people all around the world, and I guess you're his first victims. You know he's going to slaughter you, right?" Mattel asked, looking happy, though he had the darkest, devilish tone that most NPC's had whenever they talked. It brought everyone's nerves up.

Neptune placed her hands on her hips, putting on a smirk and acting the fool. "Oh, dear, dear Mattel, you're saying that we stand no chance, but while I might be a flatty, I'm still one of the most powerfullest people in the world. I'm Neptune, Daughter of Plutia and the Goddess of Planeptune. That Phantom stands no chance against me!" Neptune pounded her chest, huffing with each strike. Noire committed another face-palm.

"Let me guess, you're going to transform, right?" Noire asked with the greatest form of vexation written all over her face. Neptune looked at her and, with a raise of her fist to the air, screamed "Yeah!" Noire knew Neptune was forgetting something.

"You don't remember what happened to Blanc after she transformed? I don't think that plan of your's is going to work. I mean, it's not like I was thinking the same thing, but…" Noire retorted, going quiet at the end. Neptune placed a finger on her chin and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but maybe it'll work out for me! Tell me, Mattel, where can we find the path to The Phantomy-guy? No one has the right to threaten Gamindustri's destruction, and those that do have the right qualifications for a spanking!" Neptune said with an angry face, though with those words, I wouldn't blame you if you laughed. Still, she really hated people hurting others; that was always the catalyst for the enemy's demise. Mattel grimaced, shrugging as he took his sword back out, pointing straight down the dirty road. Some of the townsfolk (okay, city-folk) were staring at them, hearing the name that the little ones have now begun calling the devil.

"I don't think any of ya should go out there. Like I said, many went to him, none ever came back…least not alive. Still, if you truly must, follow me then," Mattel said, walking forward towards the direction he pointed to. The atmosphere was still rather dreadful and damp, but the girls really had no choice. When the stoic Blanc and IF break down, everything and anything was possible, so maybe they could work up the courage and press forward. Who knows? When the group walked, however, they looked just like the zombies outside, void of any emotion besides emotional pain.

"Wait, we can't go yet," Compa said as she ran back towards them, Vert following close behind. Everyone gave her the stink eye, making the doctor feel truly weird, but she continued that determined face of hers, standing tall as she began to explain why she said that. "Mr. Phantom-doofus wants all of us to be there, and Iffy is in no condition to continue on. We have to wait for her boo-boo's to heal first," Compa explained, holding her arms out in order to stop Mattel from moving. Vert sighed behind her.

"Doctor Compa, I fully understand your reasoning's, but… 'Iffy' has to come with us. I don't believe in The Phantom's words, but if does indeed speak the truth about wanting all of us or else death, then I'm afraid we have to comply. I want her to rest, but we don't have that much time left," the Leanbox Goddess stated, feeling poor in her choice of mind. IF's fatigue and depression were terribly affecting her wound, causing her body to lost control; at this rate, it could be a week before she completely healed, and was ready to roam as a warrior again. That time, sadly, was not available at this time.

Compa was looking around frantically, as she saw the rest of the group nod grimly. They didn't want to nod, wanting IF to be at her best when meeting this foul beast, but right now there was no other option. Either IF appears, or the group risks an uncertain fate. However, the Doctor had another thought within her head. "If we really need Iffy-poo, then we need 5…5…5…"

Yeah, Compa broke down again, collapsing to her knees as she bawled her eyes out. It was a tremendous sight, honestly, but saying that makes me look like an ass, so forget what I said, okay? Yet, even past those tears, Compa made an impressive point: if 5pb. was truly gone, then how could they fulfill The Phantom's demands? He clearly stated:

_"The end of days is most likely upon us. Dare I say it, but I need all of you to arrive on my landmass in about one week. You are needed to stop this catastrophe from ever occurring, and if you value your lives as well as the ones you govern, you will arrive at my landmass with everyone."_

"Shit, this isn't going to be pretty, is it?" Blanc muttered, a lone tear lingering on her cheek. Ram smirked and wiped it off, instigating anger within Lady White Heart. Noire and Uni sighed and swore to themselves.

"Great, now what? We're down two people already! Can we just go in there, guns a'blazen?" Uni asked, certifiably angry. Noire once more slapped her little sister on the back of the head. Nepgear cringed, and once more felt that strange feeling to seriously hurt Noire, though she said _Goodness _in her head, shutting her dark feelings up. No need to cause anymore conflict right now, no siree!

Strangely, Mattel was the next to speak. "Children, you have much to learn! If The Phantom demanded all of you, then he is sincerely lying. Really, if Neptune is a Goddess, then I'm assuming he wants her.A few of you are Goddesses and even the Candidates, yes?" the old man asked, shooing off a little child who was playing with a toy boat in the middle of the street(?). Neptune once more slapped her hips with her hands, looking proud once more.

"That's right, I am a Goddess, and so is Noirey!" Neptune shouted, grabbing a firm hold on Noire's shoulder, who sighed even heavier than before. After shooing off her rather delicate hand, Noire stated:

"Seriously, Neptune, I can make my own introduction. Yes, I'm a Goddess from Lastation. This little twerp here is name Uni, and she's my nation's Candidate. Did we already make our introductions?" Noire said, placing her hands on Uni's shoulders, eliciting an angry "Hey!" from her sister. Neptune felt appalled; as she realized that her own little sister went unrecognized, making her feel like the worst sister in the world. Nepgear saw her sister's gloomy face and felt like she had to cheer her up, and as if she read Neptune's mind, she introduced herself.

"Um, I'm Nepgear, Planeptune's CPU Candidate. I'm sorry for intruding on your land. I hope you understand!" the little purple-haired girl proclaimed, bowing to Mattel, who couldn't help but blush from the sudden formal greeting. Even his own people refused to bow to him in such a formal manner (those that bowed before were still muttering and looking angry, instead of happy or even loyal to see him). To make this chapter shorter, Blanc and her little sisters introduced their God-like heritage, and Vert soon followed behind, being almost more formal than Nepgear was. After all that, Mattel once more stroke his chin.

"I see. Yes, I understand you, Neptune, that I have not appeared surprised by Goddess proclamation, but at my age, if I saw a dragon that looked like a wall, I wouldn't feel surprised! Anyways, The Phantom only wants you lot, not the humans here. He only ever wants the strong ones to proceed to his Basilicom (_cue Neptune growing all excited from that quote_), while the rest, if he says he wants them, can go on their own way without any consequences to be had. They're just needed to persuade the ones needed to go, well, to go. Trust me, children, I've seen this happen multiple times," Mattel finished, sounding more rugged by the second.

"Wow, that's a stupid plan," Ram grunting, now receiving her older sister's hand to the head, though instead of Blanc slapping her, she instead petted her little sister. Let's face it, Blanc is seriously one weird girl. Really, really weird.

"I agree, Ram, but if he seen this happen a lot, The Phantom's a lot smarter than I like. Heh, _we_ even fell for it," Blanc said, looking over at the heroes that were human (feeling a slight breeze when she viewed her hero, Falcom). Cave and Nisa felt slightly offended.

"I'm sorry to be speaking against you, Lady White Heart, but from your tone, you're making us sound as though we are unreliable. The Phantom might only want you, but we are here to protect you all. Isn't that right everyone?" Cave asked monotonously. Nisa nodded in triumph, angry in the eyes but prideful underneath. She had to somehow regain her honor after that terrible goof of losing someone.

"Yeah, 5pb. might be lost, but I know that she will not allow all of you to go alone against the shadow of evil. We will protect you to the very end, no matter what the cost is!" Nisa proclaimed, her pupils becoming fire as she felt emotion come back inside her. Good, she just might have the chance to redeem her name and honor.

Noire sighed. "Okay, but remember, you don't have to go. Okay, we'll let IF stay here to rest," she began, turning now to the Doctor. "Compa, if this is the case, I want you to look after IF while we're gone. Make sure she's okay," Noire finished. Compa felt really happy, as she nodded with the happiest face in the world, though tears were still staining her eyelids.

"Uh-huh, you can count on me! Iffy will be okay by the time you get back. Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge…everyone, please be careful. I don't want to lose anyone else," Compa stated, once more trying to hold back her tears. No more; she will make sure no one is lost ever again. 5pb. is gone, but Compa knows that 5pb. is looking down on them, and she will really flip up there if someone else dies. Yes, even Captain U.S. Les was up there, cheering them on. _Relax, everyone, I'll make sure they go back to Gamindustri okay. You can count on it!_

Nepgear sighed. "How much time do we have left? I…think I'm too tired to move right now," Nepgear said, looking rather weak all of a sudden. The heavy emotions must've finally settled with her, and she grew pale by the second. Uni quickly grabbed her shoulder, making sure that her rival-totally-not-best-friends-or-anything was still standing. It was something that appeared to be spreading, as everyone suddenly grew drowsy and weak. Can't The Phantom attack them when someone hasn't died.

Vert looked at a wristwatch that must have just appeared (seriously, she had a watch? Did IF really have to continuously look at her phone?). "Hm, we left about two days ago, and we took a day to relax before we fully disembarked, so…did I miss a day…?" She asked herself. She was probably correct, but she knew that this simplistic problem will bother her for the rest of the night. Vert was always trying to solve things that shouldn't really matter.

"Ah, we have maybe three or four days left," she suddenly answered, though her face was still filled with depression. "Mr. Mattel, how long will it take for us to find The Phantom. I believe time is indeed running short, and we are pretty tired. Do you think rest is an option?' The CPU of Leanbox asked, hoping that she, along with her friends, could just lay low for just a little bit. Mattel scratched his chin again, his one eye bobbing up and down rapidly. It was rather disturbing, to say the least.

"Eh, the journey from here to The Phantom shouldn't be long. Heh, it could actually take you five seconds, but I'll tell you more about that in the morning. I think it will be best if you rest up for now," Mattel answered, a rather sincere smile being placed on his face. The rest of the girls looked at him. Less than five seconds? How the hell was than even possible?

"Gust is afraid. Is this Phantom guy in this town? Do you work for him?" Gust asked, dot eyes and all. Mattel let out a laugh, one that brought fear into the rest of the cast.

"Fear not, child, I do not work for him, and neither does anybody in this town. We all hate him, but we have a way to get to him that takes less than five seconds. Again, I'll tell you more in the morning. Seeing as how you lot really want to take this man out, I'll set up a hotel just for you all!" Mattel said rather cheerfully, motioning them towards a different route from the one that supposedly lead them to The Phantom. The girls could have said something about trust issues, or wanting to finish this mission right now, but after knowing that someone in their maiden cast died, why bother trying to act rationally? Going to bed will at least clear parts of their minds.

They were brought to a rather beautiful hotel, greatly contrasting to the other buildings in Corporatol City. Each girl was assigned a room (two to each one, though Blanc had three in her room in order for her sisters to stay near), and without complaint or any other course of action, the majority of them passed out on their beds. Even Nepgear, who wanted to speak with Uni (they managed to share the same room again) about…that topic involving her wrists, couldn't stay awake, and fell on her bed like it was truly her own. Maybe tomorrow everyone will feel better.

* * *

Once everyone passed out, however, Neptune rose from her bed, petted Noire on the other bed (who just happened to get the same room with her), and walked out into town, seeing the rather nice-looking dark sky covering the air around her. She had to call Histoire soon, but she decided to hold off for now. Even though she was still rather happy-go-lucky, she did feel terrible that two major people were lost in such a short time. She didn't want Histy to start feelng worried or depressed, so she saved the conversation for the next day.

She snuck up to the doctor's building and opened the door, glad that the doctor forgot to lock it. "Compa, Iffy, you guys in here?" Neptune asked in a whisper. She didn't see them physically, but Neptune saw the shadow of Compa on the wall of the room next door, where a bright light was being cast. Neptune quickly ran into the room. "Hey, guys, just checking in! How are you, Doctor Compa?" Neptune asked like a child. Compa was busy drinking a soda, and she ended up spitting out whatever she had in her mouth.

"Nep-Nep, don't do that! You know I get scared quickly," Compa said, pouting at her long-time friend. Neptune playfully pretended to look defensive, though she laughed it off and took a chair nearby. Compa was watching over IF, who was still sniffling to herself. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was still there, meaning IF had to hang low for just a little bit. Such a sad sight to behold. Neptune even began to act serious at that moment, asking a rather serious question in a rather serious tone.

"How is she, Compa? I just feel so bad for her," Neptune asked, feeling like crying right now as well. Damn this landmass and damn that Phantom who took the cute Lyrica away from this story. Damn them all!

Compa tried her best to smile, though it was evident that she was still rather saddened by the events going on. "Her wounds will heal just fine, but she's hurting everywhere, Nep-Nep. She almost made me kill her…I can't believe she made me almost do that," Compa said, looking down to the floor as though she tried to do something that was illegal and her fault. Neptune didn't know what happened, but before Compa began to help IF, the brown-haired gir snapped and flailed about, crying her eyes out as she grabbed Compa's syringe. She was planning on injecting the needle in her neck, which would probably hit a vein that will ultimately kill her. If it wasn't for Vert, IF would be gone too. It was disgusting to see, and IF kept saying that if 5pb. was really dead, then she was dead too.

"Wow, that's…pretty freaky," Neptune said, spinning in her chair. IF was just listening to their conversations, and didn't realize that her words were becoming more than just muttering.

"If I just held on longer…oh god, Lyree…," IF cried to herself, folding her arms around her face as the tears came back. When was the last time Neptune saw IF like this? Was it the time IF dropped one of her phones, shattering the screen into tiny pieces? That sadness was kind of cute, but this one…she wanted to kill me for writing her like this. Sorry, Neptune, but it had to be done.

"Iffy," Neptune said, standing up from her seat. She was clearly hurting inside, but even then, the CPU of Planeptune was always the one to have the smile on her face, and when she walked over to her friend, she was genuinely acting like an adult. Well, sort of. She placed her hand on IF's shoulder, hoping to relax her friend. "Iffy, I don't believe for one second that Fivey's really dead."

IF quickly flipped over and glared at her. It was disturbing to see IF with red eyes; thank the Polygonal Gods she was just crying and not evil! "How the_ fuck_ do say that while looking so happy? You know she's dead! I failed her, I failed Epica…oh god, I killed her…" IF blamed herself, flipping over once more to cry. "Just leave me alone, Neptune! I just want to be alone. You too, Compa!"

Neptune and Compa looked at each other, worried for their friend. Neptune placed on that happy mask once more and looked down at IF. "I know it sounds stupid, but come on, 5pb.'s a major character in this story! Why would the author kill her off so quickly?" Neptune ask, completely destroying the fabrications of reality with that quote. It must have been a heavy quote to say, for once IF turned over, Neptune was fumbling around, holding her head as a major headache was placed on her head.

"Wow, this is painful! Man, Compa, I feel completely trashed!" Neptune said, somehow acting like a child while in intense pain. Like Blanc and Vert, she felt that pain behind her head, though she chose to ignore it; someone bring up this damn pain, please!

Compa helped Neptune get balanced, and once she was back on her own two feet, she smiled at IF, who was watching them both stumble about. "Nep-Nep's right, Iffy. You said that 5pb. was dragged away, but you never said she…died. Like my grandfather always said: 'a cute honey is never dead unless proven otherwise!'" Compa quoted her batshit-insane grandpa. IF looked at her funny, and for a second Compa thought she would cry again, Instead, IF let out a chuckle, and surprisingly smiled one of the cutest smiles in existence. Truly marvelous!

"You're always going to be like that, huh, Compa?" IF said, sitting up now, taking care in holding her chest in order to protect the wound. Compa pouted at her, knowing full well that IF was probably making fun of her grandpa, and you never, ever, do that. Neptune couldn't help but laugh, however. Sadly, IF soon frowned again. "But she was already injured before I lost her. I don't think she made it, guys…shit… ."

Neptune had that determined look again. "Iffy, I agree with Compa. She might be lost, but she probably fought her way out. Maybe whatever grabbed her let her go, or maybe she slaughtered that monster, and is now running about the forest. If that's the case, then, well, uh-oh, but maybe she found civilization like we did. Come on, Iffy, don't give up hope. Until we find her body, she's still alive in my book," Neptune reassured her friend, patting IF on the shoulder. IF looked at her, and though it wasn't loud, she muttered "yeah…"

Neptune paced around the room, before talking once more. "I tell you what; after we deal with The Phantom guy, you and I will search for her. Trust me, we'll find her alive and dandy somewhere out there," Neptune said, giving one of the most thoughtful faces of her career. Compa nodded, adding: "we'll all help you find her! No one gets left behind!" IF could only stare at them, her mouth beginning to quiver.

"R-Really?"

"Hey, what are friends for, right, Compa?"

"Definitely!"

IF couldn't help but smile, lying down on her bed-like hospital…bed. She realized her quote was cheesy, but Neptune and Compa definitely didn't mind; perhaps it was fitting for the moment. She was quiet for the rest of the night, though unlike before, she was actually looking rather hopeful; that's always a good sign. Neptune smiled to herself, glad she managed to cheer her rugged friend up. Compa was also smiling but she tapped Neptune on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Nep-Nep. Listen, you might want to get to bed soon. I don't want you going after The Phantom all groggily, now. Doctor's orders!" Compa said, bowing to her Godly friend. Neptune yawned as if to indicate that Compa was correct. She was definitely feeling exhausted, and was ready to drift off into never-neverland. She silently said her good-byes and began to head towards the door.

"Wait, Neptune…"

Neptune turned around to the sound of IF's soothing voice. "Hm? What's up?" Neptune asked. It was probably rather cheesy (like, double-decker grilled-cheese cheesy) for her to say it, but IF managed to do so.

"Thanks…" she said, before going off to sleep. Neptune looked all bashful, though Compa couldn't tell if she was just acting it or not.

"Ah, I was going to do it, anyways. Take care, you guys!"

With that, Neptune went straight to her room and passed out, accidentally sleeping on Noire's bed instead of her own. Hilarity will surely ensue!

* * *

(_Meanwhile, Linda was experiencing fear in everything she did_).

Linda woke up in a daze, drenched in sweat as the grass around her tickled her frame. She didn't remember falling asleep, but at some point, her legs must have given in to the heat, forcing her down in the thicket of trees around her. She was lucky that jacket of her's kept her protected from the critters that possibly hungered for her flesh, but at the same time, the jacket forced her to be dehydrated, as the intense heat was only exemplified at this point. Her vision was blurry, and she really could use a stiff drink right about now. Hell, she started to feel terribly hungry right now, realizing that she really hadn't had a single thing to eat in about two days now. That's no good when it came to trying to find a lost comrade.

"Crap, I'm still here," Linda muttered, before coughing out her lungs. Her tongue was completely dry and her throat was sore, her sweat draining her entire body of water. She felt like utter shit, and really she just wanted to die; the pain was just too terrible. "Dammit, how did I fall asleep? Why the hell would I choose the dirty grass, anyways? Crap, Linda, think!" She struggled to get up, with her muscles screaming at her to stay down and rest (Which would probably kill her in the end), but somehow she managed to stand up, barely keeping balance, but ultimately standing upright.

The sun was hidden among the heavy trees above, with only streams of light hitting the pitch darkness around her, lighting the forest up just a tad bit for her to see. She was still in the clear against those heinous creatures, but she still felt rather naked without a weapon on her. This whole plan with saving Pirachu was not working out for her, and it came up in her head to just abandon the pesky rodent and search for another partner. "God, my back…my throat…he's paying for this. Maybe I should just leave him here, seeing as how this trouble is just not worth it one second!" Linda proclaimed, before coughing once more, having to hold onto a tree as she attempted to keep standing upright. Hot weather and her go way back, and their history was simply not pretty.

She looked to the ground and saw her jacket, covered in dust and dirt, with the inside being completely drenched with her own sweat. She could wear it for protection from the sun's harmful rays, but at the same time, a chilling thought came to her: what if some of the creatures on this landmass were attracted to the lovely scent of bodily odor? Back in Gamindustri, every creature was like that, and many could hold the power to turn a freaking Dragon on its side. She did not want to die because she smelled bad, so the decision was quickly made: abandon the jacket, and not care if skin cancer will begin its development on her rather paleish, purple skin. _Screw it, I want to live right now! If I get sunburn, though, ohhh…._

She decided that in order to make up for lost time; she would have to keep heading forward deeper into the forest and darkness. She could now tell that the sun was beginning to settle down, meaning that night was drawing closely. She saw those zombie-like beings, and if they roamed during the day, what the hell could possibly roam at night? It was one of those things that she did not want to find out. For one thing, she had no weapon, but now she had no defense, as she only wore that…weird tube top(?) that concealed her rather flat chest (_hey!) _and cargo pants for protection of her legs. That jacket was at least slightly covered in armor, though not by much (the heroes from Gamindustri managed to beat her without a problem). Still, at least she had combat training, courtesy of ASIC.

Unfortunately, that combat training only pertained to people that had their minds fully prepared for the job ahead, and seeing as how her vision was completely blurry, she was not prepared to demonstrate her vast knowledge. "Crap, am I going to die? I need water, like, right now," Linda said groggily as she moved forward in the endless forest. She probably could have head back towards the lake from before, but the problem is that she had no idea if this was forward or not. Maybe she was going towards the lake, or perhaps she was just heading towards a cliff; with a place this dark, can anyone ever tell? She just had to follow her wits and pray that water, or even food, was at least nearby. Have I forgot to mention that she was hallucinating? Because that fact will be rather prevalent in the next scene.

"Linda~," a strange voice called out ahead of her. Linda looked up with her beady eyes, looking around at every corner of her vision to see what in the bloody heck called out to her. It was rather distant, though it clearly sounded feminine. It was deep, yet clear. It definitely said her name; that part had to be true. Still, what the fuck called out to her? Did one of the bitches of Gamindustri notice her, and was now toying with her emotions.

_If that's the case, I'll rip their heads off!_

"Linda~! In front of you!"

Linda looked forward and squinted her eyes. She saw darkness at first, but soon the shadows subsided, and instead of black, she saw a rather heavenly aurora in the distance. Her eyes grew wide as she saw a faint image of person standing in the light, who had her arms extended out towards her. Linda moved cautiously forward, trying to get a rather better view of this strange specter, though no matter how close she got to it, the light appeared to get farther away. _No Linda, stay away from the light! _She muttered in her head, but her body refused to listen, for that figure was all too familiar to pass up.

"M-M-Magic? Is it really you?" Linda asked dumbfounded. She knew she saw her previous leader back in the forest, but now she clearly saw her, and this time there was no whooping from monsters to distract her. No matter how hazy her eyes were, or how close she must have been to death, she was serious that this was Magic the Hard, complete with her rather, ahem, voluptuous assets. She still had that long, red hair, and with a smile on her face that made others either fall in love, or fall dead, she continued to call out to Linda.

"Linda, come closer," Magic said, before slowly moving back in the forest. Linda realized that her leader was moving away, and starting to wobble towards her, forgetting the intense pain in her legs as she moved. The light just got farther as Linda continued to move, somehow managing to break out into a full-on sprint as she desperately made her way towards her master. No matter how many steps she took, Magic just got farther and farther, and Linda started to wonder if this was really her, or just an illusion being played with her eyes.

"No, that's her. Magic, wait!" Linda called out, scaring the creatures that were probably going to jump and rip her face off. She kept moving, feeling sickly tears falling from her eyes as she continued to run. The light was getting dimmer, and before she fell down onto the beach, the light completely vanished.

She landed hard on the heavy sand, her face covered with the dirty substance. Spitting out the unwanted material, she quickly rose to her feet (once more making her muscles and tendons freak the hell out), looking all around to see if Magic was still there. _Shit, it was an illusion! Pull yourself together, Linda, she's been long gone. Damn…, _she thought in her head as she realized that she wasn't alone. It was definitely not Magic making another appearance before her; no, this being was far different than Magic.

On the other side of the beach stood a rather gigantic Horsebird, with the additions of a reptilian tail, hawk wings, and the snout of a dragon. A man was aboard this beautiful beast, and he was a sight as well. His face was covered in a mask that sported ram horns, which point straight in front of his eyes, as though he rammed people as well. He wore a blue toga, and his arms were rather, eh, grey, almost like Linda's when she's in the right lighting. He was rather tall, and even sported a tail of his own, which was rather curved at the end, almost like a spiral. He was joined by three men, who each sported a gun in their hands, all looking like official military man, all scavenging the wreckage around them; wait, wrekage?

Linda looked to the left and couldn't believe her eyes. She was back to where she started, as the boat was still…kind of there. The whole thing was set aflame, with half of the ship sunk in the mighty Vector Sea. Dozens of the crew lay dead on the sand, most charred to the bone, while others appeared to have escaped, though bullet holes were found on their bodies. The captain was still on the boat, lying over the railing as fire took its toll on his body. Boxes from the storage room were spread out on the sea, possibly dragged out there after this fire came out. _Holy shit, what have they done? I'm not the nicest person around, but damn…_

She had to hold her breath, for as she thought about this terrible crime, the man on the horse noticed her, with the men around him suddenly walking towards her, guns drawn and ready to fire. "Oh shit!" Linda, said, realizing that her life was probably going to end unless she moved. She was going to, don't get me wrong, but she ended up saving her energy when she realized that the guy on the horse ordered the soldiers to hold their ground and come back to him. She looked at the freak and saw a rather hidden smile beneath those horns of his. He quickly galloped into the darkness, with the soldiers following closely behind. A deep breath came from Linda.

"Damn, that was close. Why the hell did he spare me? He didn't have dirty thoughts, right? It's not my fault my jacket's ruined," she said, locking her eyes on the destroyed boat. It was truly a miserable sight, and she had to wonder if the sailors put up a fight, seeing as how desolate this scene had become. The flames only intensified the heat around her, and she was willing to head another direction when she noticed something thrown outside of one of the boxes.

Water.

"Oh shit, I hit the jackpot!" Linda yelled, completely forgetting that an ambush was probable as she ran out into the open. She made it to the box and opened the container of water, drinking its contents like there was no tomorrow. She had to cough after drinking too fast, but damn, was it refreshing! The box was filled with water, and in another open box lay some simplistic food. Holy hell, she might just make it!

Still, she couldn't help but feel terrible and sick over the fact that a dead body lay right next to her, charred with the face filled with intense pain. It was actually sad for Linda to see such a person lying like this, even though she was considered, on a strange, sliding scale, an evil character. "Evil or not, they don't deserve to die like this." She knew she wasn't into sappy moments, but being that the man next to her was a sailor, and thus a hard-working fool, she slid her palm over his exposed eyes and shut them, grimacing as she realized she touched a dead body.

She sat there and replenished herself, ignoring the heat and the dead around her, ignoring the people she had saw before, ignoring the thought that Pirachu might be dead by now. She only focused on whether or not she saw Magic the Hard, or if that was just an illusion. "Crap, I hope that was her. She would know what to do at this moment."

* * *

**THE LEGEND OF PETER MARIOJ**

Was this careless soul a myth, or an actual accomplice to The Phantom?

_The following is a journal entry from Peter Marioj during his time with one Ghost. It appeared to be during his early days working with the fellow. It is addressed to his mother (deceased), and makes mention of certain things long forgotten. It seems, by the way he was writing, that his family sent messages prior to this, but we have, as of yet, failed to find those messages._

Dear Mother,

I am just writing to make mention how wonderful it is to be working here under Mr. Ghost. I must say that you and my grand friends were correct in your judgements; Ghost has been not just a valuable mentor, but also a close comrade, as though we were friends since the dawn of time. It has been roughly three weeks since I began my work here, and already I am seeing some progress on my designs. How delightful!

Forgive me for the delay of sending you information; I have been so involved in my work that there is many a night where I barely manage slumber! Rest assured, Ghost is one-of-a-kind, as he is one of the most kindhearted individuals ever produced by the Polygonal Gods. I was fearing that the rent will grow too high for my apartment, but Ghost has managed to pay off any debt that I owed. I would've protested this decision, but he insisted with the deepest part of his own heart. If it wasn't for him, I might have been thrown out into the cold streets, and that will certainly not bode well, would it? I am forever in his debt!

Yes, mother, I am fully aware that you were slightly hesitant over this particular man of wonder, but let me reassure you that he is more human than I could possibly be. He goes by the name of Ghost, though I can never figure out his real name, and it appears that not even Lady Turbo could diagnose it from him (she's a marvelous lady, by the way, though not as good as young Blanc!). He began this lofty business of his, one that I have become accustomed to, around three months ago, almost four months, and no matter how far we go, there is always another discovery to be made. He surely is a strange man, though, as unlike the other doctors and medicine men that I have met during my time, he is rather laid back, though he dresses quite the classy-man.

He's like a father to me (don't tell father I said that (_father, named Nathan Marioj, servant to what may have been Lady Green's Hearts family, is also confirmed deceased))_, always checking in to just make sure I'm doing fine, all the way to the point where we hang out every once in a while around the mighty town of Grafx, where we dine in a rather fascinating restaurant. He is a swell gent, quick to tell a joke and a talented man in the art of the new bizz around town, the magic screen. Don't you know about it mother? It's been said that if a viewer grabs a controller and moves these arrow buttons, dots on the screen will move accordingly. It's been called an "electro-magnified video board-game," which in itself sounds rather fascinating. He built one of these doo-hicky's and presto! I played with him, where the objective is to get the most points (I believe at 15 the display terminates) over the opponent. Think the wondrous title of ping-pong, only electronically. If only color overlays were made for this device!

Still, enough of that hobby. He commonly implores in music and the arts, commonly (Albeit mistakenly) inventing new things. Did you know that he was responsible for invented the G-Clef symbol? I was present when it happen, and even though he proclaimed it as the G-Clef, he stylized the design after the way I make my "j" in Marioj in my signatures. A bit of trivia for you and the rest of the family!

Other than that, he truly is a determined soul, locking himself in the lab whenever possible in order to make the medicine he has become famous for. After working with him, it is clear that we share the same philosophies, but at the same time we are located in different fields in terms of fixing the anomalies of the human frame. While he possesses the knowledge to fix the body of diseases and illness, I implore upon the fixations of bone fractures, torn ligaments, and a tad bit of cardiology. Sure, the magic grass is not apart of these fields, but that was an one-time effort, as my major is currently in helping unfortunate souls struggling with destructions of the human frame.

It is a perfect contrast, as each of us worked together to not only benefit ourselves, but to help the other in understanding the combination of cell and bone; of the immune and muscular system; of the brain and spine; each one of our projects were closely knit together, yet at the same time were different subjects entirely. I was chosen to be just an apprentice, as you are aware of, but eventually my work was viewed as perfect by Ghost, and he began to refer to me as a true visionary in medicine, and we were simply the best of friends. Not even the finest needle can cross through our thick barrier!

If you have seen the new medicine called "muscle-replexin," that was of my doing, and it has been praised for fully curing back aches and neck sores, a common problem here in Lan16 (is it the same in Supendo?). My studies have fully shown themselves on the frontline, and even an expert like Ghost couldn't help but feel as though I was wiser than my age makes me out to be. Yes, of course I had some glaring flaws in some of my designs, but Ghost managed to help me correct each and every one of them, allowing my medicine to be perfected and shipped across the landmass, as well as some being transported to the others (oh, I hope Lady Turbo doesn't fear that decision! Relax, mother, for Lady Turbo has granted me, along with Ghost, permission to speak her maiden name out loud or on paper). Ah, Ghost's vision to fully cure the entire world is a grand one. It will surely be tedious, I'm sure, but it is surely the best one I have ever seen, and I will work day-and-night in order to fulfill his dreams!

Yes, Ghost is truly a man beyond equal, but I have something to tell you, dear mother. I have worked with him for the past three weeks, and I began to notice a strange change in the atmosphere around us whenever Lady Turbo was either mentioned or nearby. You see, in order for us to fully approve of inventions that were large scale, we had to demostrate the new medicine in front of the Goddess herself. It was marvelous just to be there, but oh, you should see how Ghost and Lady Turbo interact! Many of us, including myself and the soldiers that serve under her, are usually too enthralled by her whimsical and beautiful nature to even utter a single word correctly, even when addressing her specifically. Yet, my master appears to be like a friend to her, as many of the times we go and visit her, she is always delighted to see him, and oh! He, dear mother, is very elated when she speaks to him. Why, he's the only one that doesn't choke on his own words when she's talking to him. How odd is that?

But my favorite part in all of this, mother, is the fact that I think Ghost hears bell chimes whenever she is nearby. Mother, I think my master has a…thing, for Lady Turbo, and from the looks of it, perhaps she too, has a thing for my master. Whenever I bring her up, his face brightens up ten-fold, and he could reply all day about her if he wanted to. Sure, he was always happy during his time in the lab at work, but once Lady Turbo was there or called upon, he changed to the most lofty individual around. I'm not here to spread gossip or anything, mother, but if this relationship is true-to-the-bone, then I fully support it from all my heart. I hope that even with Lady Turbo being a CPU and Ghost being a well-renowned Medicine Man, a possible marriage shall be expected. Ah, how wonderful a sacrilege that will be, eh?

Till we meet again, Dear Mother,

-Peter Marioj (_signature proven to have a "g" looking character for the "j")_

_ Around another week later, addressed to his mother once more. A portion of the letter has been lost, unfortunately, so we do not know what Mr. Marioj was thinking about a certain situation. It reached the Marioj residence about a week after being written._

Dear mother,

Things have been getting…weird, with my Master. He still is a fine, successful individual, mind you, but at the same time his emotions have certainly changed, for the better or worse, I guess. He is still the go-lucky man I was describing in the other letter, but clearly his attitude has changed, for once we finish our idle chatter, he begins to lock himself away in his chambers, never to be seen until our next meeting. I do have to ask him what is bothering him, but unfortunately he ignores any of my thousands of plea's. It truly worries me Mother, but what can I possibly do to help him?

That is why I resulted to spying on him. I know you hate people who do that, but at this point I am truly desperate! What could possibly be wrong with him, all the way to the point where he can barely focus on his studies in front of him? Well, Mother, I guess I frankly have no choice on the matter, so in the end I had to spy on him after the shop has clearly closed. Forgive me for my sins, but in the end, this will be for the greater good.

When the night came to a draw and Ghost expected me to leave for my apartment, I decided to linger on for just a second, before I finally followed him down the corridor, where he decided to keep his room. Unfortunately, he locked the door with impressive ease, so there was no trespassing on my part. However, his lock had a key-hole the size of Supendo, so I managed to look through and observe the room. Quite the room it was! It was well decorated and colored in a fine hue of orange, with a blue blanket covering his rather fine matress. The walls were pretty much barren, with a mirror on one end, and a window on the other. He had his own fireplace in the room, which had pictures on the mantel that I could not make out (perhaps his family that he refuses to talk about?). It was quite fancy, yes.

The thing that caught my eye, however, was what Ghost was doing. There was a desk on the far side of the room, and he was clearly reading a rather hefty book, one that I have never seen before in his possession, and believe me, he always flaunts his latest read around. It took me some time, but apparently the book was a first in a series of three, each one involving the highly-saught-out yet still controversial technique of alchemy. Why, in blasted name, was he reading books on the forbidden magic? Ghost has always said that whatever happens to his brand, he will never stoop so low as to read and perform alchemy, for he felt that, like the dogs of that Alchemy-land (that's what he referred to their people, that landmass far out in the distance), nothing useful could be accomplished with such sorcery. It's truly barbaric, Mother!

When he finished reading the book, he pulled out a cauldron from the fireplace, with the cauldron already filled with boiling water and a strange coloring, one that I have never seen before. He stirred this water with a wooden spoon the size of me, chanting something to himself, while his face and countenance looked rather weary. Perhaps he was mad at himself for performing such a dark art, though I cannot tell at this time. Smoke will fill the room, and next thing you know, a beaker has been produced in his hands, with a sample of the water resting within. He would look at it, make sure that the smell was healthy, and then he would set it down on his study-table, only to go back and read through that Alchemy book once more. It was strange, but maybe he was just broadening his horizons! Still, why would he start at the one thing he despises?

The next day, I continued to ask him over the issues at hand, but he passed them off with a witty joke, completely ignoring my questions. I wanted to press onward, but I felt that if I get on his bad-side, our relationship shall be strained. Once again, I waited for the night hour to spy on him once more, and this time things were rather different than before. He still read that night, but instead of the Alchemy books, he explored the textures of one Greggorious P. Neptunian, who you might know as the famous scholar from Planeptune. He still is a controversial one in my tastes, for I do not believe in his words over the afterlife, and the questionings he had given in regards to the wonderful land of Celestia. Ghost thought nothing of him, yet here he was, completely involved with the humongous book.

It was entitled _Work in Progress: My Personal Theories in Regards to Celestial Offerings, _and it truly was still in progress, as half of the pages were still blank, with notes scripted rather sloppily on the pages. How did my master obtain such a beta book, to the point that the ending had not yet been written? Has he interacted with Mr. Neptunian before? This I have yet to know, dear Mother, but one day I shall persue the topic and figure it out, hopefully to quell the fires of disturbance within Mr. Ghost! I know he talked to Neptunian on a previous morn, but would that be enough to capture his gaze?

Back to the book, Ghost wouldn't leave its pages, and even when midnight struck, he took his slumber within its mighty bindings, forgetting the comfortable bed behind him. The next day he was actually rather depressed, and refused to speak to me, no matter what topic was being mentioned. (_A sentence is written here, but it is ineligable)_. I still worked on my studies, as did he, but he was noticeably much slower than usual, to the point that he was led to a complete hault in a matter of seconds, though with a quick sigh, he continued to work in silence. When the hour came, even Lady Turbo saw the disturbance in his face, though I guess in order to persuade her not to worry, he quickly grew on a smile and said that everthing was A-okay; he was just tired, that's all. Tired! Does he realize that I have seen what has been going on? Why was he partaking in these studies, when he should be focusing on the studies of medicine, his chief profession?

What could be the catalyst for this change? If I remember correctly, a week before all of this happened, we were at Lan16's Basilicom, and Ghost was showing off his advancements once more, as we usually do. After this, the time would come where Ghost and Lady Turbo would chat idly as I enjoy either the peaceful gardens of the psuedo-castle, or partake in the celebritory banquet in their dining halls. You don't miss much when you partake in either-or! However, this particular day was strange, for Lady Turbo requested for Ghost to follow her out of the room, and for an hour his status was unknown to everyone in the Basilicom. If I can speculate for just a moment, I could say that perhaps she wanted to talk to him privately, as that day held many important figures in the Basilicom, many that have been considered influential to Lan16's development, and were being rewarded that night.

(_This is where the paragraph that is ineligible rests. Forensics have failed to decipher it after half a century)_

I believe that, perhaps, Mr. Neptunian was present there, for I remember hearing that a famous man from Planeptune was to make company with us. I never did see him there, but if Ghost managed to get an unfinished copy of his own book, then I'm sure he partook in the conversation with Lady Turbo. I also heard that a representative from the Alchemy-land was also there, which is how Ghost probably obtained the books. Did they happen to persuade him to continue on with these studies he found so forbidden and dark? Possibly, though Ghost is not one that can be easily persuaded to do something he refuses to do normally. When we left that day, he looked downtrodded already. One must wonder what occurred during that meeting, and for now I must remain suspicious until the answer provides itself in front of me.

Ah, blast, my pen is running out of ink! Dear Mother, forgive me, but this letter must end here. I hope to write to you again, and I hope that I can figure out his problems by the next update. Until next time, farewell!

-Peter Marioj

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 101, para 1:_

"We must realize that people have personalities. Some are docile in nature, while others are rude and selfish. Personality is what defines us as individuals, and provides each and every one of us the opportunity to find those that are the polar opposites of us. Without personality, we would be nothing but shells of nothing, just moving about the day as tedium settles in. Yet, it appears that if my thoughts are correct from page 31, where there are others much higher than Celestia that have control over everything, personalities can change in certain ways, leading to a dividing point in the multiple universes, as people will be, dare I say it, 'out-of-character.' These changes can be welcomed, though most are greeted with great disdain. Even I have experienced these flashes, though if you follow this book, perhaps we can all escape that dreaded curse…"

* * *

Sorry If this chapter was bad. School just began, so I was slightly dazed. Just got to stay in the Friday-Saturday time-slot… (_message broadcasted from original posting of story)_


	16. PART 3: The Meeting with The Phantom P1

Chapter 20: In which our heroes begin their final steps towards The Phantom

The morning dawned on the horizon, and it seemed that our friend Uni was up-and-ready. She didn't waste any amount of time that morning, immediately getting up to go down the hall and take that shower she desperately needed. Fighting, or at least doing what The Phantom demands, will certainly be dirty work to begin with, but she felt that she had to be presentable during a time a crisis. I don't know, she's weirder than Blanc now.

The shower-room was pretty nice, though. She was the only one awake in the building (Sans a worker or two), so everything was entirely peaceful, with the air feeling the cleanest it could be since…well, since before her sister was kidnapped a long time ago. Man, were things that bad over at Gamindustri? Uni knew that everyone else was living nicely, but she ended up living in a hell, though she didn't even know if she could call it that. _Why are our shares messed up? It's hurting Noire badly…I hope she'll be okay for this stupid thug._

Without a moment to lose, Uni quickly stripped herself down (no, dear viewers, there is convenient censoring. We're trying to run a family-friendy M-rated story, here!) and waltzed right into the shower, shutting the glossy-door and turning the valves to allow the water to hit her. The shower was just like everything else here in Corporatol City: 40's-style, with everything old-fashioned. Uni enjoyed this particular place, but it was still unnerving to know that the whole building was rather ancient. Eh, if the shower works, it's a good place in her book!

Once the steam settled in, she was lost in a complete trance, sighing as she placed her hand on the wall, allowing the water to prance itself on her back. It was slightly a little bit warm for her usual taste, but being that today might as well be the darkest day of her life, she might as well just accept it. One day, and already people have died; this plan was certainly not boding well for anybody. It was painful just to think about it, but Uni was feeling a similar feeling to that of Nisa, who was still beating herself up over the whole loss. She didn't mention it yesterday, but there was something that was bothering her badly.

She managed to see 5pb. and IF run into the old house, and if she just walked slightly forward, she could have made it to them. Perhaps if she did do this, she might have had the ability to save the idol, but she decided that her own life was more worth it. How much of an idiot she had to a have felt in that shower! _I could have gone over there and stop it…I bet Noire's laughing at me right now…_

_ Blaming yourself, are we? Pathetic; fucking pathetic…_

Uni turned around, checking the wall that stared back at her. She checked the glossy door, opening it slightly to see if anyone was there. The rest of the room looked back at her in confusion, standing still with absolutely no disturbance. "Anyone there?"Uni asked, shaking as the water continued to gallop over her body. She waited with fear in her eyes, waiting for that voice to ring again. It was the exact same one she heard when they were walking through the forest. It was that voice that sounded so disturbing, that she just wanted to crawl into the nearest hole-in-the-wall and hide for the rest of her life; it was the voice that nightmares are made of.

_Guess I just imagined it, _Uni thought, sighing as she returned to her normal position of looking depressed in the water. She had too much stress on her mind, and this water was surprisingly helping her. She rinsed out her hair (damn, when did she walk through a cob-web?), washed behind her ears, cleaned her, ahem, "lady-parts," and finally just washed her face two-fold. She didn't realize how dirty she was until she saw the dirt leaving her body, floating on the ground towards the drain, left to be food for the vermin below. At least she could look dazzling when doing whatever this freak wanted of them.

She departed from the shower about 15 minutes later; compared to the others, she was rather quick. It would still be about another 2 hours before anyone in her group awoke, so she managed to snag herself some free time. She wiped her herself semi-dry before wrapping the towel around her like a dress. She sighed for the hundredth time as she looked at the mirror, with her reflection looking back at her tired eyes. Because fate was cruel, she was paired up with Nepgear in the bedroom, and while it wasn't a bad thing, what she really wanted right now was to be alone. She was glad that her friend fell asleep quickly; she knew that Nepgear was finding out about her wrists.

Speaking of which, she looked at her wrists and couldn't help but stifle a tear. "Uni, stop it. Hurting yourself isn't doing anything!" she said to herself, looking at the marks that gave off the appearance of a rail-road. The one's closest to her hands were rather old now, barely looking the color of red, though the slashes were still rather prevalent. The ones near her shoulder, however, were rather fresh, the latest coming from just before they entered the ship to Lan16. It sickened her to do this constantly, but the stress was starting to become a nuisance for her. She had to have around 100 of these marks on her wrists, 50 on each, with the pattern of going in a straight line becoming blurred as she ran out of space. Noire and Kei so far had no idea she was doing this, but Nepgear was getting closer to the truth.

It's rather simple why she did it. Uni always had an inferiority Complex in comparison to her sister, and even when she managed to prove her worth on the battlefield by saving Noire, she still felt largely inadequate, always saying that Noire could have saved Uni a whole lot quicker than vice versa. Even when Kei praised Uni for doing some work quicker than Noire, Uni felt it was all just to make her feel special, when in reality she was just a failed clone of the CPU of Lastation. She wasn't this depressed during that time, mind you, but when shares plummeted, Noire became quickly enraged, as you probably remembered from many chapters ago. Uni did whatever she could do, but even Kei often yelled at her much more often than not, and the people that were considered the rich folk of Lastation (you might refer to them as the 1%) were starting to despise the Basilicom. Uni just couldn't keep up with the onslaught of work, and thus while Noire received praise for keeping order in this terrible time, Uni was signaled out as being the villain in all of this.

She felt disrespected, and she started to believe that everyone began to disapprove of her very existence. Sure, no one will ever hurt her (that man from chapter 3 surely was afraid to), but people everywhere in Lastation loathed her very being, with many just flat out saying that she was the reason for the share-depression. Of course, this is far from the truth, but when has the people of anywhere ever cared for the logical truth? Knowing that no matter what she did, no one would probably like her ever again, she turned rebellious, cutting meetings to just walk around town, and, when she was completely alone, burning things in trash bins (Oh, if Nisa heard that, she would flip. The trash man-murderer was hard to catch because of her! Buy the DLC, by the way). She was still kind and generous, but she was easily angered, flipping out at people who so much as talked back to her.

But her depression began to settle in, and she was starting to lose it. Everything that happened was her fault, and when she wasn't being a rebel, she was being scorned, or just treated rather harshly for someone her age. One event had her in a fight with Noire, both yelling at one another for not completing a request for Lagoon City, which almost led to the mayor defecting to Lowee. If that were to happen, Lastation would've probably seized to exist. It was a joint effort between Uni and Noire, but when both were overworked and forgot about it, Noire blamed it solely on Uni, causing one of the biggest tsundere/tsundere match-ups in history. Seriously, you should have seen Noire literally kill off Uni's self-esteem. It all ended with Black Sister escaping to the bathroom to cry alone. She berated herself constantly over being a failure and almost costing Lagoon City, though she was not entirely at fault.

She wanted to die, but settling on being in pain was what she went with. She remembered looking into that mirror on that cold morning, a frown on her face; man, she told herself she was the "ugliest-bitch" around. She knew she was wangsting, but at this moment, she didn't feel anything else, nor cared for anything around her. She picked up a razor that was perched to the side of the sink, and with shaky fingers, sliced through her left wrist. She yelped in pain as some of her blood floated into the sink. She quickly washed it away and flung the razor away, disgusted at what she had just did. She promised herself that no matter how bad things got, she would never do that again. Well that didn't exactly work out for you, did it, Uni?

She kept at it, hating herself every time she did it, but it became rather unbearable when Nepgear became much more involved in her life. Unlike everyone else, Nepgear was actually friendly to her, always listening to what Uni had to say. She was the only person Uni could trust when it came to these problems, though because Nepgear was such a good-girl, she didn't want her to think ill of her and the actions within the Basilicom. To Nepgear, all that was going on in Lastation's Basilicom was that Noire and Kei were being unfair to Uni; that was all. It made their relationship that much better, and Uni was starting to feel as though Nepgear was truly more family than Noire will ever be. Maybe family isn't the best term to use, but Nepgear was certainly one of the only best friends Uni ever had. While she didn't really mind hanging out with her during the days of ASIC, almost every day she was with the purple-haired Candidate of Planeptune, and strangely, she wouldn't have it any other way. No, it wasn't that type of relationship, at least according to a tsundere.

Even with Nepgear around a lot, however, Uni still sliced herself silly, one time accidentally popping a vein that spouted blood for quite the time. She still has no idea how she resolved that, but she remembered feeling light-headed when it occurred. She should have stopped there, but she kept on going. That had to be a week before this whole mess began, and Uni was still slicing herself almost daily. She will stop when this is over, but as of now, that seems to be rather far off. Maybe the end of the world wouldn't be such a bad thing after all!

Now they were on Lan16, away from the broken Lastation, with Noire already pissed off at her. She still couldn't prove her worth, even after managing to save Noire's life from those weird, looking monsters. With Nepgear looking at her funny and recently deceased, hope was quickly fading from Uni's eyes, and once more, she found herself in the bathroom, a sharp object in her left hand. Jeez, this was some heavy exposition, eh?

"You could have saved her, but you didn't. You're just a worthless pile of shit, you know that?" She heard Noire shout in her head. Uni suddenly grew mad, taking that sharp object and slicing a rather disjointed cut through her right arm, causing a trickle of blood to leak out. She yelped in pain, trying to hold her voice back in case someone was nearby. She felt sick in the stomach, but with a great, big breath, she held back her feelings of barfing. Taking breaths that made her sound like she was tired already, she washed away the blood that ran in the sink, wiping away anymore traces of it that happened to be lingering around. Noire might have caused some problems, but Uni always made them worst. No matter what happens, Uni will always be the failure in the Lastation family, and no matter how people told her otherwise, she will always be the attention-whore, piece of shit that everybody hates.

_Ain't that the truth…_

Uni quickly looked up and saw a strange figure looking back at her through the mirror. She quickly stumbled backwards, hitting the wall hard as the figure in the mirror laughed. Hell, I don't think "figure" is the appropriate term to use, as this thing was certainly not standing. It was simply a mask, one that could fit a person's head perfectly, with the painting on it a simple canvas of white, while the markings around the eyes were pure black; it had eyes that were simple dots on a white background, never shifting or moving, just like The Phantom's. It didn't have much facial features besides the eyes,butit's mouth was caught in a state of a frown, much a like a sad-clown, though less comedic and that much more frightening. The rest of the body wasn't even a body, but a swirling cloud of black, spreading through the room like the stream from the shower. It was indeed the most repulsive thing Uni has ever seen, and she was one of those unfortunate enough to meet CFW Trick.

Uni wasted no time, grabbing her clothes and running straight out the door. The figure in the mirror continued to laugh, almost to the point that you could have sworn he was hurting himself. It didn't follow Uni out, but it still lingered on, never showing emotion as the black mist filled the reflected room. When the next person entered the room about 5 minutes later (you'll meet them), the being was gone, as though nothing was ever there to begin with.

She quickly flung the door open, knowing all-too well that she was essentially naked under that towel (her room was pretty close by, so she could make it quickly without being spotted). Sadly, she bumped into Nepgear almost immediately after stepping out of the room. Nepgear was almost propelled to the floor as soon as Uni hit, with the tsundere desperately trying to keep her balance in check. "Goodness, Uni, be careful!" Nepgear said as she rubbed her head. Uni looked at her, her face growing very red. She was practically naked, with Nepgear staring at her. She quickly turned to the side.

"W-What are you looking at, huh? S-Stop staring!" Uni yelled, getting flustered by the second. She was pretty sure Nepgear was looking somewhere that was way too perverted for the little children to see. However, Nepgear's eyes were nowhere that could be skewed as perverted, even though Uni, deep down, hoped she would at least say something about her figure (she was fearing that she was too plain). No, her eyes were fixated on Uni's exposed arm, the one she just recently sliced right into. Uni wasn't aware of her mistake; Nepgear knew now.

"Uni…" Nepgear said, completely in disbelief at the sight before her. Uni's face was pure red, believing that Nepgear was still staring at her body. She thought that Nepgear was actually impressed by her physique, which is totally what she didn't want; it's not like she wanted Nepgear to stare at or anything. Who knows; maybe Nepgear was speechless at her, making Uni feel somewhat more confident.

She turned to face Nepgear, and was going to slap her at first because Uni thought Nepgear was looking down at her, eh…posterior (yeah…). However, she soon saw that Nepgear's eyes were directed at that arm of hers, and when Uni noticed this, her embarrassment became complete fear. This was certainly not the way she wanted Nepgear to discover this. "Um, Nepgear, I could…" Uni tried to say, before her mouth was blocked by the ever-present, soft-feel of Nepgear's long, purple hair.

The little Candidate found herself caught in an embrace, with Nepgear suddenly producing tears as she buried her own head in Uni's hair. Uni's eyes were wide, her whole body shaking as Nepgear wrapped her arms around her. She could hear Nepgear cry, her own body shaking as well as she squeezed the little tsundere. _Uh, what the hell ?_Uni thought about the whole situation right now. Worse, she finally realized, was that Nepgear was hugging her, while she was only clad in a towel. That was certainly the attire that she did not want to be hugged in.

"Uni, I'm so sorry," Nepgear said as clasped her friend even harder. Uni was at a loss of breath, staring off into space as Nepgear pulled away from her, staring straight into Uni's eyes. More tears were being produced from her eyes; some from the recent losses, others from this scene. "Why are you doing this? Uni, please tell me! Goodness, I can't believe you would do this!" Nepgear cried as she looked at Uni's arm, feeling even more disgusted at the whole fact that her other arm was also in the same situation, actually far more worse than the other arm. Why would her friend do such a heinous act? Was it because…Nepgear was a bad friend?

"Uni, did I do this? I didn't mean to be mean! I…I'll change, okay?" Nepgear questioned, staring intently into Uni's eyes. This is what probably set Uni to finally break out of her trance. Nepgear crying her eyes out was nothing knew to the world and her experiences, but when she was crying because of Uni, it sincerely hurt her by a great deal.

"It's…not you, Nepgear. You don't have to cry," Uni tried to sound reassuring, though Nepgear wasn't buying it. The purple-haired candidate continued to cry, surprisingly swearing to herself for being an idiot, making Uni that much more concerned for her. She tried to make a smile. "Nepgear, I think it's impossible for you to hurt anybody, you know?" she said, though her voice was rather shaky to be considered fully serious by the innocent Nepgear. Simply said, Nepgear continued to cry.

"Then why? You're hurting yourself! Please, just tell me!" Nepgear begged, holding onto Uni once more, thankfully taking care with holding her towel looked away, not really embarrassed about being semi-nude anymore as she felt confused. She didn't want Nepgear to find out about this, but now that she has seen her with these terrible slices, she had no other way out of this. Still, she wouldn't allow Nepgear get too involved in this.

"I'm not telling you! Just stay out of this, Nepgear…please?" Uni said, keeping her cool up in the front of danger. Nepgear stared at her, dumbfounded. Her eyes were miserable, and Uni could tell that she was still thinking that it was all her fault, beating herself up visually in her mind. It was pitiful, to say the least, and Uni did not want to hurt her best friend. All she had to do was slightly push herself away from her friend and get to her room; she assumed that Nepgear was going to take a shower, so locking their room shouldn't be an issue. Oh, and readers, she only cares for her because they're friends; not for any other reason. Seriously. Definitely. Stop looking at me!

"Uni, I want to help. I can't stand to see you like this!" Nepgear shouted, not letting Uni go as she cried on her shoulder. Uni didn't want to do it, but she had no choice. The aching in her arm was getting bad, so she had to get to her room quick, anyways. She slightly shoved Nepgear away, not hard, but enough to get Nepgear's grip off.

"I'm sorry, Nepgear. I just want to be left alone, okay?" she said, making sure that her voice was still as calming as always. Nepgear wanted to hug her again, but Uni was pretty quick when naked sans a towel. She got to her door and, without taking a simple turn of her head, she closed the door behind her, hoping that she didn't hurt Nepgear's feelings. That was something she would kill herself over. Once the door was closed, Uni fell to the bed, smashing her fists into the pillow as she screamed to herself.

"Damnit, Uni, you idiot! She knows now…crap, everyone's going to know soon!" Uni shouted, continuing to pound her fists, before she felt her arm growing numb, causing her to flinch in mental-pain. She sighed to herself, hating how everything ended up. She could die right now, and she wouldn't care. Nepgear was probably crying to herself in the shower as she thought to herself, unsure of how to really feel. That was the worst pain of all. It made her hate her sister just a bit more, though she knew that her sister wasn't the real one at fault (well, I mean, she's the catalyst to her demise, but apparently she doesn't think like that). It was her fault for damaging herself.

"I'm an idiot. What if Noire saw me like this?"

_Yes, that would be most unfortunate, dear, little runt…_

That strange interruption was probably the central reason why Nepgear didn't see Uni in the room when she came back from the shower. The door was wide open, with Uni's towel laying on the ground, with every light turned on inside. Nepgear knew that Uni didn't prefer the dark, but why would she turned all the lights on? Strange, indeed. Then again, unknown to the confused Nepgear, Uni seriously hated voices coming from nowhere, and whenever a voice talked to her without showing itself, she would freak like there was no tomorrow. It was just the right thing to freak out the stoic Candidate. For now, Nepgear was left alone in the room, sitting on her bed as she wondered why Uni would result to doing that…_thing _to her arms.

_Uni, just talk to me. Please!_

* * *

Chapter 21: In which our heroes finally meet The Phantom in his strange flesh

The group eventually woke up collectively, figuring out that there were a lot more showers than just one. When the showers were done, the group was called by Mattel to head towards city hall, where a mighty fine breakfast was to be granted. Being that everyone was getting starved due to the intense heat, the gift of food and drink was a rather pleasant surprise, and the girls wasted no time in getting there. The morning brought on the new color of purple to the landmass (making Neptune rather cheerful), and the townsfolk went on with their normal business, watching the girls intently as though they had the plague. Sadly, while everything seemed calm right now, the group had to get prepared. Very soon, the confrontation between Gamindustri and The Phantom will commence, and who knows how that will turn out. Pray that it will be good, or else this story will end on a somber note.

"Wow, I never get this service back at Planeptune. Man, what do you call these, Mattel?" Neptune asked as she delightfully held up a piece of food that greatly captured her interest. The group was already sitted, looking at the food with great pride. While the townsfolk viewed them as potential threats, at least Mattel treated them all with sincere kindness. You just don't get that these days, you know?

Mattel looked at the CPU, smiling, though he wondered why she didn't know what the food was. "Ay, that there is a flapjack! Don't have those over there at Gamindustri?" the man asked as he poured himself a drink that Rom and Ram would be killed for drinking it (just ask Blanc and Mina). Neptune's eyes lit up.

"Awesome! NepJr, take notes on this. These things are incredible!" Neptune cheered as she took a bite out of half of one. Nepgear, who was still focusing on the problem with Uni (she decided to sit as far away from Nepgear as humanly possible. This really hurt Nepgear's feelings), smiled to her sister, deciding not to say that flapjacks were just thick pancakes. While smiling at her, however, Nepgear saw plenty of bruises on Neptune's faces. That's what you get when Noire wakes up to see you with your head in-between her breasts. I don't know if this is abuse or self-defense (and hell, Noire was still sitting next to Neptune, even though she was still pretty mad. Huh, go figure), but nonetheless, she looked happy about it (was it worth it, Neptune?).

Vert was looking at the food, happy to be seeing kindness on this landmass, though a tear was forming in her eye. "Mattel, thank you for this feast, but you didn't need to do all of this for us. This is too much of a gift for me to just accept," Leanbox's Goddess said, hesitating to pick up that fork and began chowing down on the food like a hungry mule(?). Mattel let out one of those trademark laughs, though this time it actually put everybody at ease. That's always a good sign.

"Relax, you kind soul. If you really are here to fight The Phantom, then it is the least Hasbra and I can do. Eat while you still can; don't know how The Phantom's gonna treat you!" Mattel said, taking a hefty gulp from his mug. Vert still bowed to him, making Mattel scratch his chin while looking away; kindness like that was even rarer than hospitality. Nisa soon looked up in the middle of chewing up some waffles.

"Speaking of which, kind sir, where is this wife of yours? A woman this kind to help us heroes has to be met!" Nisa said as she scarfed down another biscuit of some sort. The rest of the group agreed, wanting to meet such a wonderful gal. Unfortunately, the news they were about to receive made them feel somewhat sad.

"I'm sorry, children, but Hasbra refuses to speak to you lot until she knows how you fared against The Phantom. She's just shy to those that think they could best the devil himself," Mattel replied, scratching his eyepatch as he looked over at the sausage in the bin nearby. The group felt sad, but at the same time rather hopeful. This hope can only be described by Nisa herself.

"Well, while we don't plan on actually fighting him, if this plan truly is a fake like you said, then we shall penetrate his evil fortress and prove to you that this Phantom can be beaten down by the mighty thorn of justice. Get Miss Hasbra prepared, for she'll be meeting us soon!" Nisa shouted, slamming her fist into the air, if that were actually possible. The rest of the group felt the enthusiasm, though Gust shook her head, looking down at her own food. Nisa noticed this sign of rejection, and out of nowhere, the Heroine of Justice and Gamindustri herself lost her cool, sitting back down without another word.

"Um, well, I have faith in you that The Phantom will be no match for you, _if_ he does do anything rash. I'm pretty sure he's going to at least attempt to end your lives, but eh, what do I know?" Mattel asked, finishing off that drink that Ram was seriously thinking about, leading to a noogie from Blanc. With that, Mattel rose his mug. "For now, just enjoy this feast as though it was your last!"

Later on, before they left, Neptune took the time to call Histoire. "Yo, Histy! It's me, Neptune. Been awhile, hasn't it?" Neptune asked as she paced around the outdoors of the city hall. The group was still finishing up their breakfast, so she was alone, glad to know that she could talk to the book in peace. She wanted Histoire to feel less scared, so having herself only will at least help the mood just a little bit. Just a little, that's all.

Histoire must have been reading herself, for she was caught off guard by Neptune's sudden voice, "Neptune! Oh, I was so worried! What is your current situation? Have you reached The Phantom yet?" Histoire asked, not believing that she was actually smiling to hear Neptune's voice. The other Oracles were surprised as well, and they gathered around to listen closely. Neptune shook her head, even though no one could see her except a few townsfolk.

"Nah, not yet, but we will in about an hour. We're in this kickass city with really nice people. We're just eating breakfast before we go. How's everything over there at Gamindustri? Still colorful?" Neptune asked, perching herself on a box. Histoire was glaring at Chika (she kept trying to grab the transceiver in order to ask about Vert. Man, even Mina was being patient, and there were children over here!), answering with an angry expression.

"We are fine here. The zombie issue is being taken care of. Is everyone okay over there?" Histoire asked, just going with the whole fact that the Landmass was inhabited, informing the other Oracles quickly. Neptune began to bite her lip; this was the question she was afraid of answering. She knew what she had to say, for Kei was present in that room, and if Neptune lied, she was surely going to found out. I guess the truth had to come out, no matter what she really wanted.

"Well, the majority of the group is okay, Histy."

"The majority? What do you mean? Is someone hurt over there?"

Neptune bit down on her lip hard, feeling some blood slip away, making her yelp. She had to say it. "Iffy's hurt; I guess getting stabbed is going to be painful, but Compa is treating her well. 5pb…." She was afraid to continue. Histoire leaned forward intently, growing some sweat as she began to wonder what Neptune was about to say. _This is it, Neptune. You got to say it! _"5pb.'s gone. She got dragged away into the forest…"

"What?" Histoire asked, the air within her being released too quickly for her small frame to handle. Neptune winced at this reaction, waiting for an onslaught of questions. She heard Histy talking to the other Oracles, who all seem to have the same reaction (Kei was more closeted, but it was still there). This was not going to be pretty. After a brief pause, Histoire appeared once more on the other line. "I…I'm sorry. Forgive me if this sounds harsh and rude, but if she's gone, can the plan with The Phantom work?"

Neptune smiled, though it was faint with her eyes beginning to shake. "Relax, Histy, this guy over here, this Mattel dude, said that The Phantom has done this plenty of times, and that…wow, I'm about to sound like a douche right there," Neptune realized, quickly rewording her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she said: "He only wants us, the Goddesses! He's really picky about that, for some reason."

She overheard Kei muttering something in the background. "Should have realized he was up to something," was what she heard, with Mina quickly saying "We can't help it. He might be telling the truth about the end of the world, after all-"

"Actually, heheh, about that…" Neptune interrupted their far-off conversation, causing Histoire to retaliate back towards the transceiver. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"What, what is it? Is it a lie, Neptune?"

"Well, that's the thing. Other strong people like us went to fight this guy, and none ever came back," Neptune replied, giving a creepy voice at the end of the line, saying ohhhh~ really loudly. Histoire quickly shut her up, and Neptune reluctantly complied. She heard an audible sigh on the other side.

"Damn, he's just leading us to your graves. I'm sorry for getting you into this mess, Neptune. I don't know who Mattel is, but is everyone trusting him?" Histoire asked, her pages aiming downward as her mind went through a depressive episode. Neptune made a happy yep, stating that he, just like Histoire, didn't like The Phantom. This helped ease the tension in the floating book, though she still had a hint of doubt within her bindings. "I see. Well then, I guess he isn't planning anything rash, either. Still, I want you to head back, pronto. I can't let you stay there on your own; we'll send an army over there if we have to, but for now, I want you to retreat," Histoire demanded, hoping that Neptune will listen to her. Histoire should realize that Neptune, while smart, still acts like a child.

"No, Histy, that I just can't do!" Neptune shouted, suddenly growing determined. Histoire made a disgruntled sound, and eventually the other Oracles apparently voiced their disapproval as well. Neptune knew this was going to be their reaction, but still hearing them all making such a noise made her cringe.

"Neptune, you and everyone else are coming home this instant! Get back to the boat now! Do _not _make me repeat myself!" Histoire yelled, causing even Kei to flinch in retaliation. Neptune giggled, enjoying the feeling of making Histoire almost hop out of her book; she knew it was bad to anger her, but come on, it's hilarious!

"No, Histy, I'm not listening! If This Phantomy guy wants to possibly kill us all, well, then we'll give him the surprise of his life! Everyone else was probably expecting him to just be a kind kind-of-a-guy, which made them go ka-pow! When he sees us, though, man, we'll whoop him! This series doesn't know death!" Neptune proclaimed, feeling confident as a couple of townsfolk looked at her in bafflement. Histoire was still angry, but she also grew confused as well.

"What do you mean by that? Didn't you mention that 5pb.-"

"Hey, I don't believe for one second that 5pb.'s gone. Iffy said she was dragged away, that's it! For all we know, she fought her way from it, and she's now walking in the forest singing some rock tune. That seems like her, yep," Neptune interrupted, patting her chest. Histoire shook her head.

"Neptune, I'm glad you think positively, but if the possibility is that she's dead…listen, you're coming home now!"Histoire yelled once more, still holding Chika down as she continued to fight her way to ask how Vert was. Neptune was smiling, though, as she knew they were going to continue protesting. She was going to have to drop this call somehow. She had to fight The Phantom, no matter what happens, and now that someone in their group was missing on his landmass, it was now personal. She'll give him the one-two-buckle-my-shoe if she had to, and she knew that the rest will do the same. She had the perfect plan to get out of this.

"What was, kzzzz, that, Histy? You're, kzzzzz, breaking, kzzzzz, up, kzzzzzz~," Neptune began to say, spitting out saliva as she imitated the end of their signal. Histoire produced a puffed cheek.

"Damnit, Neptune, do not do this-"

And the transmission was closed. Neptune didn't like doing that to her favorite, floaty bookie-thingy, but right now, she had no choice; it was The Phantom, or else. She had a feeling that the Oracles would just call the other Goddesses, but she was surprised to find out that the others were still at the table, chatting away to one another. What, did they just forget that the others had transceivers? Ah, who cares, we have a plot that no one cares for to continue!

Before she walked back into the room, Cave walked out, being the only one that realized that she was gone (Noire was too busy eating herself dry to notice. Hey, she's not fat!...is she?). Neptune was surprised by this strange cameo, thinking that another, relevant character would appear before her. It was rare for a DLC character to interact with her (damn you, IF), but hey, its Cave. She was like Kei, she actually was a _human._

"Lady Purple Heart, why are you out here? I though you would be scarfing the entire table," Cave tried to make a joke, but due to her calm disposition, it came out almost like a threat. Neptune quickly hid her transceiver away, placing it inside one of those pockets with a d-pad design on them. She leaned on the building wall, whistling nonchalantly. Cave was not amused. "You seem to be hiding something. Forgive me for speaking back to you, but why are acting so suspicious?" Cave asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Neptune realized that Cave was actually wearing decent clothing, instead of that weird, maid-like-gothic-lolita-style that was common for her in both life and in fanart; why was the author making them less…eh, I can't really say revealing, but, you know. Oh well, Neptune continued to lean on the building, but her whistling was stifled. "Oh, nothing, Cavey…can I call you Cavey? Immagonna call you Cavey. I was just talking to Histoire, you know? Filling that book with more info, you catch my drift?' Neptune answered the questioning women of Leanbox.

Cave decided to lean on the wall herself. "I see. You didn't have to be so secretive. Did you tell about…Lyrica?" Cave asked, her calm face morphing into one that was ready to cry. Neptune forgot the plot point that Cave was also a good friend with 5pb., thus giving her full right to use her real name (Neptune had to think for some time to know who Lyrica was, but she soon pieced the puzzle pieces together) in public. Neptune saw this depressing look, and she smiled once more; is she the only optimistic one on this landmass? That surely can't be right!

"Hey, listen, I know we don't interact in the other installments, but I can assure you that Lyr-5pb. is okay. Seriously, you and IF have to look on the bright side of things! If she wasn't dead on-screen, she's fine!" Neptune said, before stumbling about in her stance, her head suddenly feeling 20 times more heavy than usual. Again, just like when she was with IF and Compa, her mind was playing something very far back within her mind, to the point that it felt like a mosquito bit her on the back of the head. _Woah, what's going on? _She thought as she gripped the wall next to her. It felt as though thousands of little creatures were currently running around in her head; what was the cause of this feeling? Even worse, before Neptune could even think about it, the feeling subsided; leaving a Goddess that was certainly perplexed. Cave was just watching the scene unfold, making a face that I guess was trying to signify a smile, with a slight hint of worry, though with Cave it's almost impossible to really tell.

"Are you okay, Lady Purple Heart?" Cave asked, an eyebrow raised on her facial features. After fully regaining herself from that strange feeling, Neptune stared at Leanbox's…special-servicey-person, smiling a cheeky smile as she rubbed the back of her head. Cave was surprisingly nice when you got to know her, but when she began interrogating, she got rather disturbing in her tone (perhaps Nisa should allow her to join her squad!).

"I…don't know what just happened, but what I'm trying to say is, being the hopeful soul of this landmass, is don't lose hope for her. Like I mentioned to IF, I won't believe that she's gone until I see physical proof! You dig?" Neptune asked, hoping to quell the twisted emotions within Cave. Cave stared out to some buildings in the distance, nodding to herself as it looked as though tears tried to escape her eyes; did she really care for 5pb. that much? The author never bought the DLC, but they were in the same scene for probably three times…

"If…if you say so, my lady. Perhaps she's still out there, but I don't know how well she can handle herself out in the wild. Still, thank you, Lady Purple Heart," Cave said, smiling as her eyes closed. Neptune replied with a simplistic "awe-shucks" as she scratched her head with a blush on her cheeks. Hey, come on, she just did what anyone else would've normally done; there's no need for that! However, that cheerful demeanor of Cave quickly vanished, and she continued to stare towards the distance, looking like she was ready to kill something. "Still, The Phantom is our top priority. I will help you on this quest, for Lyrica's sake," Cave said, placing her fist over her chest.

Neptune walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder, just like with IF (hurray for the reusing of scenes!). "Yeah, I knew you would help us. Hey, tell you what; when we beat this Phantom-douche down to gibs, I'll look for 5pb. With you! Compa and Iffy are going to as well, so we should find her faster than a speedy hedgehog!" Neptune stated, feeling as though she was the surrogate leader in this operation. Cave turned away, making Neptune confused, though it should have been obvious at this point in the story why she did this; if you guessed anything other than slightly crying, either you're a pervert or just didn't see the emotion in IF's eyes.

"T-Thank you, Purple Heart."

"Hey, call me Neptune! A friend of my friend's is a friend on my hot-10 call list!"

Cave nodded and, with a strange maneuver on her part, she went and hugged the lazy Goddess. Neptune felt strange being hugged by such an elegant woman, but in the end she hugged back, squeezing her apparently new-friend as she began to think of the many ways she could defeat this Phantom. No one has the right to cause so many cute girls to cry in pain and sadness; it just wasn't correct in any way possible!

Soon, both of the girls walked back into the room and finished off whatever breakfast was left (Blanc and Nisa were apparently that hungry at this moment, finishing off most of the meal provided).The atmosphere shifted quickly, as the group grew fully prepared for the meeting with the man that will either stay true to his word and protect the world with his bizarre invention, or simply lead them into a trap and end their lives. It was basically the Russian-roulette bet; is the bullet chamber filled, or empty? The only way to find out is to either be a coward and flee, or go on and hope to survive.

"All-kay', all of you's fully prepared for the road ahead?" Mattel asked, finishing off his frothy mug-o-water. The girls all finished whatever they ate, their equipment lying next to their chairs, screaming to be used for the time to strike. Each one of them nodded in unison, some with great enthusiasm, and others with pain in their stomachs. It was a moment that many of them wanted to happen, but only within the realm of illusion, as the reality was relatively unsettling. Still, they have to deal with this strange force no matter what, as The Phantom was certainly a semi-threat like no other. Mattel stood up, his massive frame shaking the table as he placed his hands down.

"Okay then, let's get this show on the road!"

* * *

Far off on the landmass, deeply hidden within the darkest crevices of the HuCard Mountains lay the mysterious Basilicom of Lan16. It was definitely a strange location for such an important building of the previous empire, but the previous Goddess had her reasons, as well as her far-off ancestors of days, very-far-past. It was majestic like all the others, with the towers on each side extending to the heavens above, with stained-glass windows dotting each tower, adorned with the design of thousands of different objects and beings from years ago. There had to be 16 towers in total, each colored a different shade of a certain color group, in order to show off the mighty power Lan16 held. The base was much like the other Basilicoms; triangular-oval in shape that extended to a much bigger size as it continued on. It looked like Lowee's castle in full honesty, but seemed to hold such an impressive aurora that even Lowee couldn't muster.

Of course, I would be saying this if this paragraph was located back in the 40's. Nowadays, the Basilicom is completely run-down, neglected over the many decades, with the beautiful windows smashed to pieces and the door-frames broken apart by their hinges. Only 8 towers remained standing, with the others collapsed after countless landmass-quakes shattered the land. The ruins were still planted on the burned grass, making the lawn rather terrible for traversing, though the stone path (which back in the day was filled with many colors for each stone, orange standing out. Now, orange was the only color still left, as the others faded with rust and age) was pretty clear, allowing safe travel for those exiting and entering. It's color, once grand for the land, was now gone, burnt into a despicable shade of brown, like real life, you know? The inside was far worse, though it really was just dusty and broken, with everything the Orange family collected destroyed over the years.

The only thing inside the Basilicom that wasn't destroyed in the slightest was the mighty throne, which was still perfectly gold-and-orange, just the way Lady Orange Heart (or Lady Turbo to her close allies) left it. On its perch sat the damn man himself, the one that appears on the title of this very fanfiction, the one that sent our heroes to this damn landmass, only to see Captain U.S. Les and 5pb. either die or end up on the unknown list. Unlike the way IF and Noire thought, The Phantom was definitely still looking like that freak from back at the Lastation Basilicom. He was certainly stressed, though you wouldn't be able to tell given that he had that everlasting smile. Many of his guards walked about the throne room, all trying their best to tidy up the place for the guests to arrive. Given the Basilicom's current condition, the job is not going well.

"Oh, how I wonder if they truthfully followed my instructions. I hope these denizens of Gamindustri didn't take a wrong turn out in Fargone Forest. That will certainly bode terrible for the lot!" The Phantom shouted to no-one in particular. He rested that metallic head of his on his fist, his other hand twirling that small cape that surrounded his shoulders, extending down to just halfway past his back. His arms were as robotic as his heart, being able to fully rotate around, which he did to scratch a damn itch on the deepest point of his back. _Ah, how I wish I couldn't possess the ability to do this, _he thought to himself as he rested that arm, which, by the way, was part mannequin and part rake. How that works, how the hell am I supposed to know?

Above the front door of the mighty Basilicom was a mighty hole, where a beautiful picture of the first Lady Orange Heart (existed during the 12th century) once rested. The hole aimed directly towards the blackened sky, and it looked as though nothing will ever be visible, sans a cloud or a dragon on the occasion. However, this was the common thought that all the soldiers and guards shared, not The Phantom. To The Phantom, he always somehow managed to see the beautiful blue light off of Lastation, and even when he couldn't, he would always pretend it was there. "Ah, the majesty still rests above us!" He would always say, and much to the confusion of his people, he would always reach out for the light, as though the light called out to him.

A soldier of his, dressed in surprisingly modern military-garb, ran up to the throne. "S-Sir Phantom, we have received word that a bunch of women have teleported in front of the Basilicom. I, uh, how should _we _handle this, sir? It's completely bizarre, but trust me, it's real, sir!" The soldier said, standing in a pose worth saluting, if you asked me. The Phantom broke from his trance of reaching for the light, and looked directly at the young man. He did not have the ability to have emotion on his face, so he made due by positioning his hat in peculiar ways in order to convey his thoughts (remember this, model makers!). Right now, his head was raised high, making his hat point upward, with no shadow overcastting his eyes. That means he was surprised and excited, in case you can't see it past his smile.

"Really? Did the guards make note of how many there were?" The Phantom asked, intrigued by this sudden discovery. The soldier, who's emotions were concealed by this long visor (it was standard for soldiers to wear this, as The Phantom became to despise other's emotions, due to not being able to convey his own), jumped a little, thinking that he was going to be yelled at. This scene was pleasant for both of them!

"I believe there were roughly twelve of them, though I can't remember."

"I see. Did any of them have, you know, blue or purple hair?"

"Yes, actually! Two of the girls had purple hair, and I believe only one had blue, but I can't be sure. They were all colorful, sir."

The Phantom nodded, his countenance suddenly getting antsy; for once, this boredom of his can finally be answered. The guests from Gamindustri have arrived at last. "Okay, soldier, allow the girls into the Basilicom. Now, soldier!" The Phantom yelled, suddenly standing up. All the soldiers in the room stopped what they were doing, as it was unusual for The Phantom to suddenly loo-sound so determined. The Phantom looked at all of them, the soul within him burning with excitement and anticipation. "Everyone, drop what you're holding and enter formation #36333! That is an order!"

The soldiers did just that, as they dropped what they were holding and formed into a circle around the circumference of the room (what are the other formations? That was freaking #36333!). Each one placed a gun on their chests, watching the center of the room; the guards that stood nearest to the door bunched up around the sides, so those that had to enter were able to do so. The Phantom clapped his fake hands, with a soldier next to him wondering what all the hubbub was about. "Sir, if I may ask, are the guests the girls from Gamindustri?"

The Phantom stared at the man, and I must admit I would be freaked out if I saw that face looking straight at me. "Indeed, soldier. Stand your ground, for finally, after all these decades, we shall meet that landmass-grouping once more!" The Phantom said, shifting his gaze back towards the door. The soldier just looked at him strange, but did as he was told, watching the door just like everybody else. Man, this had to be a boring thing to do, but wait until the scene actually plays out.

Perhaps I should talk about the casket behind the throne. It was fit for a Goddess, to say the least, as it was made of pure gold and silver, with designs of ancient beings covering the entirety of the body of the box. Even in its state of being completely, well, old, it was even more beautiful than the throne it resided behind. What mystery could possibly lurk within that case, or perhaps, is there anything in it in the first place? I've never hung around him, but I do think The Phantom could be the poetic-type. The man in question looked past the seat, looking at the side of the case with his fly-designed eyes (they were truly hideous, dear readers).

_Soon, _he thought to himself, _Soon you shall rise again!_

Now, can I stop the flow of the story here and explain something? I can? Marvelous! You see, Lan16 is massive, and the predictions from the Goddesses and humans of Gamindustri were mostly correct; Lan16 was probably the size of a couple of Lowee's. The reason why I bring this up is that the group from Gamindustri only covered a couple of miles on-foot, in which they landed in Corporatol City and began their preparations. What this implies is that Corporatol City is in the southern part of the western Portion of Lan16, while the area that The Phantom resides in is located deep within the HuCard Mountains; they are completely on the other sides of the map, perhaps about, maybe roughly, _800 _miles apart. How in the hell could this group get to The Phantom's abode in less than 20 seconds (hah, Mattel, it wasn't 5!)?

Simple; they used teleporters! Apparently, after the heroes finished off their breakfast meal, Mattel lead them to the outskirts of Corporatol City, bringing them to the north, where a strange device was built. Mattel explained to them that The Phantom was intrigued by their rebellious nature, and thus made a teleporter (without them knowing until it was fully completed) for the city that would lead them straight to Lan16's Basilicom, just so he could have a "talk" with those that dared to meet him in person. Even when she was weak and thus unable to join the rest of the cast, IF asked Mattel why didn't anybody ever use the teleporter to just stage a sneak attack when The Phantom rested, but Mattel retorted that The Phantom never rests, and is always prepared. Besides, no one was brave enough to launch an attack, as death from The Phantom is often described as the worst thing you can imagine. Oh well, the heroes said their final good-byes to Mattel (And to his wife, who has yet to be seen), and took the teleporter, stumbling out when they reached the grass outside the Basilicom. Now, the scene in front of you is happening.

The mighty doors crashed opened, and Neptune, along with Noire, came into the building first, both rather angry as they shoved the guards away from them. The rest of the group, in majority vote, was also rather pissed, but at the same time they were rather scared, the destroyed Basilicom was definitely a disturbing relic of the past. Even Nisa, who has been in more evil lairs than I can even think of (you guessed it, buy the DLC), was rather disturbed by this place; she was about to call Whelps, but the transceiver was having a hard time picking up a were literally all alone against this beast of a man; even Mattel refused to follow, saying that he had to run Coporatol City instead of risk his very life. Yet, Neptune and Noire were ready to meet this man, but the rest would've rather not go through with this.

"Hey, Phantom, I'm calling you out!" Neptune said, strange whistling noises coming from behind her as the scenery turned western in her mind. Noire slapped her forehead, but got herself together again, taking out her trusted rapier out of her hammer-space. The Phantom was alerted, of course, but he was still just standing there, watching the group unfold in front of him. "Now, do I have to transform and whoop your tooshie, or are we going to stop the end of the world? Come on, you're the antagonist! Do antagonist stu-ow," Neptune suddenly stopped as her head throbbed, making the group puzzled.

"Nep, you okay? Jeez, what's wrong?" Noire said, holding her totally-not-friend-or-anything as she stumbled about. Neptune struggled to make a smile, and even then it did not last for long, breaking into a grimace as her head throbbed. It was that same feeling again, though this time the blood within her felt chilled, and her muscles felt nearly broken as she attempted to hold herself together. Why did this keep happening? "Neptune? Neptune, tell me what's wrong?" Noire asked, desperately trying to keep Neptune standing.

The guards around the room were looking at one another, as did our very heroes, who were all wondering what the hell they should do. Should they do something, such as help the purple-haired woman? Oh well, it didn't matter in the end, for The Phantom began to cackle, which echoed throughout the entire room like an obnoxious feedback. It made even his own, trusted soldiers grimace; you can't really blame them, for that laugh usually wasn't a good one.

"Dear Lady Purple Heart, are we feeling the tremors, too? Is your head hurting? Muscles weak? Balance hard to maintain?" The Phantom shot out in a rapid pace, sounding rather muffled, but at the same time so loud that you had to almost cover your ears. Noire shot a glare at the strange man.

"What the hell do _you_ know? Dammit, Neptune!" Noire shouted, still holding onto Neptune as she slowly made her way back to recovery. While the feeling was much the same as last time, this wave of pain was certainly lasting longer than usual. Once more, The Phantom let out a nasty laugh, and proceeded to move forward, walking in a straight line, though his gait commonly wavered about, making him look pretty drunk right about now.

"Why, you are Lady Black Heart, correct? You two must be the descendants of the previous Lady Black Heart and Lady Purple Heart, though unlike them, you look rather…peonish, if you will. Listen, my dear, shut your fucking mouth while I try to talk to your friend," The Phantom said rather bluntly, never changing his tone as he slowed his steps to about halfway through the room. The room was rather huge, though it really was more long than wide. All of his words echoed off the walls, and even though he sounded essentially calm, he still sounded as though he was shouting. Noire was taken back, her eyes filled with rage as she was about to transform; you never insulted her like that. Never.

However, Neptune patted one of her hands, causing Noire to calm down just a little. Being relinquished from Noire's rather painful grasp, Neptune stumbled forward, breathing deep as the pain finally subsided. "Relax, Noirey, I'll protect your pride," Neptune beamed, causing Noire to become worried. Dusting off her hoodie-dress, Neptune looked straight into the eyes of The Phantom. "Listen, Buster, no one, and I mean _no one, _insults my mommy or the alternate Purple-Heart like that! Now, once more, we are here to save the world, and that's it. Yeah, I felt like I was dying just a jiffy ago, but now I'm fine. What do you want us to do?"

Noire and the rest were rather surprised at Neptune's sudden turn of leadership. The guards must've felt a bit uneasy that multiple women were located just in front of them, hell-bent on possibly killing them all. Seeing as how Neptune was standing her ground against The Phantom longer than any of them ever dreamed of, these girls might actually pose an honest threat to their lives. Sadly for the girls and lucky for the guards, The Phantom displayed no physical displeasure from the Goddess. Hell, deep inside, he was actually pleased.

"I am so very sorry for insulting your family. Where are my manners, today? You are my guests, and immediately I insult you. Forgive me for that, but I guess we should get the show on the road, eh?" The Phantom asked, clapping his hands a couple of times as he laughed to himself. The guards were confused at his sudden generosity, but with a quick glance to them, the guards immediately stood once more with no emotion present inside their visors. "For the record, I must say that I am pleased that you have returned my request to save the world as we know it. I had a feeling that you wouldn't respond, and Gamindustri would have to fall to ruin."

Vert walked up to where Neptune and Noire were standing. "We have lost too many lives since we arrived here, so this plan better be the truth. If it is a falsity, then I will have no choice but to end your life!" she yelled, raising her halberd as she peered straight towards the twisted man. The Phantom rose his head, and an audible laugh was produce.

"This woman truly believes that, even if I were to turn the tide here and say that I plan to just end your lives, she could actually defeat me!" The Phantom shouted, laughing as the other guards also laughed in unison. Vert felt ashamed, causing her to raise the weapon once more, this time with her eyes glowing as her mood almost caused her to forcibly transform. She remembered Blanc's aftermath, and decided to hold it back.

The Phantom continued. "Dear…Lady Green Heart, correct? Not affiliated with the Pippion Alliance Green Heart, right? Yes, fear not, for I shall stay true to my word. Please, loosen your grip on those weapons, as I come only as a friend. Sure, I may despise your appearances in front of me, but I shall hold my grievances to myself until we complete what has to be done. The end of the world is upon us, and there is not a single minute to waste!" he proclaimed, clapping one more time as he turned his back to the group. Vert was still pissed, and if the end of the world was not the major issue here, she would have been completely happy to stab the living hell out of The Phantom. It might be out-of-character for some, but damn, that would satisfy her right about now.

"All right, let's stop bullshitting around. Man, you look uglier than I expected, by the way, but I digress. What do you want with us?" Blanc asked, her eyes strangely puffy and red. Was she still crying over Captain U.S Les? It's actually kind of depressing to see, to tell you the truth. Vert gave her the signal to calm down, hoping not to piss off this man any further (though she still wanted him dead), but Blanc only got slightly more furious than before. Even though The Phantom instructed them to "loosen their grips" on their weapons, she still held that hammer firmly, ready to fight in case things got out of hand. Once more, The Phantom laughed like a mischievous devil.

"Ah, yes, I must tell you what must be done. Oh, and you're hard on the eyes yourself," he said, making a snide remark under his breath as Blanc rose the hammer and was about to run and smash his head in, though thankfully Vert stopped her from doing this. Folding his arms behind his back, The Phantom said: "I want the Goddesses to follow me towards the throne. The rest of you shall stay where you are-"

"Hell no, I'm not just standing here! I'm not going to let you hurt Noire!" Uni proclaimed, her machine gun rested firmly in her hands. The Phantom and Noire looked at her with surprise, both thinking dirty and disturbing thoughts within their heads, and not those kinds of dirty thoughts, damn readers. Noire was about to yell at her to stay quiet, but Uni stepped forward. "I'm walking with them, and there's nothing you could do to stop me!"Uni shouted, now aiming that gun directly at the man, causing the guards near her to ready their own weapons. Nepgear was quite hesitant about Uni doing this, but seeing as how she was rather determined, Nepgear joined in as well.

"I won't let you hurt Neptune! I don't like hurting others, but if you lay anything on her, I'll…I'll…" She stammered as her face turned red. Uni patted her friend on the shoulder, and Nepgear grew calm again, though her sword was aimed and prepared. Ram and Rom chose not to say anything, knowing that when their sister looked like she was crying, hearing their voices would make her even more angry, thus leaving her wide open in case of attack.. They did, however, stood with the other Candidates, getting their staffs in order as they watched The Phantom and their sisters look back at them. Neptune was more than elated to see her sister try to defend her.

"Ah, sis, you don't have to do this! If The Phantom promises not to pull off any dirty tricks, then I think we'll be off okay," Neptune said with smile, before quickly frowning as she looked at The Phantom. "Do we have a deal, Phantom?" she asked with what had to be the most diabolical voice she had ever made. It wasn't even in a joking manner, but in a genuine, sincere threatening voice. She thought that would rustle The Phantom's jimmies; it just had to!

Well, The Phantom either had no jimmies that needed rustling, or he was a hard act to break. "Of course, Lady Purple Heart. If I were to hurt you, then how can we even dream about saving the world?" The Phantom stated, bringing his head down as his hat took over his eyes, rendering them unseeable. With this, he confirmed that the Candidates could follow him down the path to the throne (Which really was not far. Hell, I could get to it in less then 5 seconds from where the Goddesses currently stood!), as long as they stood behind them, for the "Frequency" could be severed if too many people were near. What the hell that meant is anyone's guess, but if it meant saving the world, then it was probably something that wasn't that terrible. The humans, or makers, had to stay near the entrance, however.

* * *

"Hey, Phantomy, have you ever been to Corporatol City? They have nice people there! Oh, and their leader, Mattel, is such a cool, old-guy! He told me off-camera that he'll tell me how he got those scars…"

"Mattel? Is that gent still the leader of that City? Wow, I have not spoke with him for what now…decades? How's his wife?"

"Oh, I haven't met her yet, but she has to be super-cool. She made us this great breakfast; man, I still have that waffle-taste in my mouth! It was great, really. You met Mattel before?"

"Lady Purple Heart, you must realize that I am the leader of Lan16. I know everyone here, especially Mattel. He's a friend of mine from the 50's, and I can tell you that he's a marvelous leader, even though we do not meet eye-to-eye most of the time."

"Wow, you're that old? I mean, you don't look human, but you don't look old, either. Okay, maybe rusty…"

Noire couldn't believe it. The Phantom was surviving this conversation. By now, even she would probably give up with talking and just stay quiet, and she had the highest tolerance with Neptune compared to the others! The Phantom always responded calmly to each of her questions and remarks, and it looked as though he found great delight in answering her, which shocked Noire even more. _What the hell? Why is he acting so calm? I would be screaming right now! Damn, he doesn't look suspicious, but…he doesn't look like anything but a bad character model. What the hell is he planning to do?_

"Okay, enough questions, Lady Purple Heart. Candidates, forgive me for this rudeness on my part, but at this point, stay just a little bit farther than you are now. I don't want anything getting messed up, you know?" The Phantom said as they just reached the stairs up to the throne. Uni and Nepgear were told by their sisters to comply, and they did, but with hesitation as The Phantom stared at them again; they didn't want that scene back in the Basilicom replaying once more. Rom and Ram also complied, though Ram was chattier than the others.

"Blanc, if he does anything, beat him up!" Ram shouted, hopping up and down with excitement. She always enjoyed the sight of Blanc wailing on some poor, unfortunate soul that really deserved it; if it was her, well, she will get angry, as seen before. Blanc really wished she didn't speak (it might cause Ram to be hurt), but she still gave her little sister a thumbs-up in response. She was glad that her sister was being friendly with her again. With that, the Goddesses were separated from everyone else, leaving just them and The Phantom in the middle, with the rest looking on with envious eyes.

"Okay, now what? This better be quick!" Noire yelled, growing impatient by the second. The Phantom laughed to himself, clapping his hands as he jumped and clicked his oddly-made shoes in the air. For being the main villain in this M-Rated tale, he surely acted foolish at random moments.

"All right, Goddesses, are you ready? I want you to stand on those markers dotting the floor. You see them? They're bright blue for your convenience," The Phantom said, pointing to four platforms that just slighty-jutted out of the ground. They were spread out evenly around the throne, each away from the main path of the throne room, so no one could possibly trip on them, sans the occasional doofus.

"Okay, we will do this, but rest assured, if you do anything…" Vert began, before The Phantom waved a hand in front of her.

"Come now, do you think I would let you live this long in my presence? Once you do this, the machine will activate because of your combined energy, and thus the end of the world will be prevented. Once this happens, I will leave the coast of your land forever, and I shall bother you no more!" The Phantom shouted, taking a seat once more on the throne, sitting with his head rested on his fist. Apparently he enjoyed the pose of a bored ruler, though it could be that his head was that heavy for him to maintain. After Neptune voiced her sadness over having to leave Mattel behind and getting promptly smacked in the back of the head by Noire, the Goddesses did as they were told. The Candidates watched in anticipation, waiting for The Phantom to break his promise and attempt to kill them all. If others fell for this, even with the world-ending excuse, then can they really say that the world was ending in the first place?

"Okay, I'm standing on the platform? What do we do now? If this takes a long time, can I at least finish reading this story of mine?" Blanc asked, clearing her eyes as she looked at the throne. The guards all watched,figeting every now-and-then from standing still for so long. It made Blanc that much more restless. Expecting a laugh from The Phantom, the man himself only made a pretty loud sigh.

"Relax, Lady White Heart, this shall not take more than a moment. Please be patient with me. It is the world in question, no?" The Phantom said, stomping his foot down. His hand that once acted as a rest for his head was now grabbing onto the armrest, pulling on the fine carpet-like design. The Goddesses thought he was bored, but this was not the case, as the armrest ended up opening, revealing a rather complex array of mazes, filled to the brim with thousands of wires. On the other side of the rest was a big button, one that was as orange as the rest of the landmass, glowing brightly against the shadow of the chair. With a whimsical twirl of his finger, he pressed the button down, and in an instant…nothing happened.

"You know, Goddesses, I am a traveling soul, and I have ended up visiting other universes in my travels. I have visited ones that were completely cartoonish with yellow-colored people, realistic ones that had people trapped on an island for 108 days…"

_What the hell is he talking about?" _Blanc asked, still being very impatient as she stood there. Wait, something's off…

"…universes that were filled with talking sponges, while others were dominated by colorful ponies…"

_He's freaking me out now. Is he insane? _Noire thought. Wait, something was indeed wrong here. Blanc appeared to be noticing it, too.

"…places that hosted an annoying talking bobcat that couldn't withstand 3D, a man that was a womanizer, pimp, and shot pig-police at the same time; a universe that was watercolored and filled with maidens known as the 'blue-witches'…"

_Oh my, he's gone nuts…huh? I…can't move a muscle! _Vert suddenly realized, unable to turn her body or even shift her legs to move about. She, like Noire and Blanc, were frozen in place…

"…with children that had Fairy Godparents accompany them, or the universe filled with demons, and the souls that belong to them, or how about the universe where a twisted man kills off the Gods of his universe due to his own wife perishing by his own blade?..."

_Nrghh, I can't…what's going on? _Neptune suddenly realized, getting frightened as she saw Noire and the others struggling as well. Even the soldiers looked confused, and you couldn't see their faces…

"…You may be wondering why I bring these universes up. Well, You know what I saw in those universes? Protagonists that were somewhat smart, but still fell for some trick by the main villain because the plot demands it. It happens in every universe, and I can now see that it has happened in this one. Did you know that there are other universes based off of this one? Lady Purple Heart, you are aware of one, but there's one where Gamindustri is in the sky with terrible gameplay, and another that's in the desert, and another that's filled with yuri, and another that's stars a male OC that dropped in by mistake, and another that stars a deranged Penguin causing havoc, and another about a boy with you Noire, and one that even features young White Heart and Green Heart getting married, and even one about the Great Second Polygonal War, and…"

Uni and Nepgear looked at one another. "Nepgear, I can't move. I'm scared," Uni said, releasing that, even though she was not on one of those devices, she was still frozen in place. trying with the greatest strength to break out of this invisible prison. Nepgear was trying her best to comfort her, but her throat felt like a sword was piercing her, causing her to have a hard time speaking. Rom and Ram were also scared, Rom crying as they were locked in that stance. The makers had to watch on with horror.

"…What I'm trying to say is that villains always deceive the heroes, because the higher beings beyond Celestia demand it. They script out our actions, and there are plenty of them doing this. Some call themselves official, while others refer themselves as fans, but their plans are all the same. They write an opening of our lives, write a conflict, and end us either happily or depressing. I know we are in a story, and that no matter what happens, we will all terminate by the end. Did you know that this was supposed to be the last chapter of this tale named after my book? Well, I simply can't allow this. The world was going to end after this chapter, but because of me, we shall survive, thanks to me extending it."

The Phantom finally stopped talking, never taking another breath as he watched the Goddesses and their Candidates struggle to move. It was beautiful to him, and-wait, he's extending the story? No, no that can't-

"What the fuck are you talking about? We're not in a fucking story! Now tell me why I can't move, or I swear…" Blanc began, grunting as her throat throbbed. The makers had no idea what the hell he was blabbering about, but for some reason, they felt he was right. Nisa felt it especially, suddenly feeling a chill run down her spine. This can't end well.

Another laugh. "Lady White Heart, we are in a novel…actually, a fucking fanfiction. It can't even warrant an official word; we are that useless! Do the other authors of this damn world understand what they are doing? They are making tiny worlds for us to do nothing but their bidding, and we will correspond to their mindsets, no matter how twisted they are. We are all useless, which is why even I break my character. All of you had, and yet it was all subconscious! This chapter will end the world, but I will not allow it! Do you hear me, creator? I'll break this damn world!"

The Goddesses were stunned by what he was saying, both by how ridiculous it was, and how disturbing it was at the same time. He was clearly insane, no doubt about it. Other universes? Come on, only the universe Neptune traversed to exist. Seriously, this story will end here, readers. That is the truth, and I'm sticking to it!

"Dude, what are implying?" Noire asked, still not being able to move as her breath felt rather stilted, to say the least. The other Goddesses asked the same question in unison, though I decided to just mention Noire, because that is how it is supposed to happen. The Phantom cannot take over the story, folks. He is a character created by me, and Noire has every right to ask that question.

The Phantom laughed. "You see, the author planned for me to be killed by you, as you were to kill me as I was explaining what to do. You would all be genre-savvy in knowing that I was leading you to your demise, and thus slaughter me while I wasn't looking. Well, seeing as how my experiences with other universes shown that the heroes are always dumb at pivotal moments, he was clearly wrong. Finally, a character in a fanfiction destroying the boundaries of the plot. No more will I be tied down against my will. Today is the anniversary of my beloved's death, and I shall survive for her to witness this glorious moment!"

Yep, that set the nail in the coffin. Sweat began to form on everyone, as they soon realized that this man will not go down like ASIC. He was insane, completely insane, and he had them where he wanted them. I have no control anymore, readers. I…can't take it back. The Phantom has already destroyed my entire plot. God knows what he will have me narrate next. We were all at his mercy, and quite possibly, this will be the last scene I will ever see while I am still alive.

"What are you going to do? How are you going to stop the world ending? Hey, if it's ending now, why did you lie and say it will happen in three weeks?" Neptune asked, trying now to transform, though being frozen, she couldn't get the strength to open her heart. The Phantom did not laugh at this, but only looked at her with that damn smile of his.

"To set the plot in motion, that's all. Heh, the world is ending, and now, I have you under my control. Goddesses and Candidates, prepare to stop this end!" The Phantom shouted, slamming his fist down on one of the armrests, the one away from the button-holding one. Dear lord, what is he going to do. I can't let him…no…

The Goddesses were confused at first, but soon they felt the tingling sensation, the Candidates feeling it much later on. The electricity jumped through their bodies, and soon they found themselves in intense pain as hell was unleashed upon their very souls. I can't stop it. Phantom, stop it!

"Yes, I have done it! The energy is being released; the end of the world has been stopped!" The Phantom shouted to the heavens, causing the guards to clap in perplexing unison. They were all being electrocuted, their bodies switching constantly between human form and Goddess form, pain exploding out of every pore of their body. It was terrifying to see and narrate it. Close the story now! This can't be happening; it just can't!

Nisa and the others were not frozen, but were inflicted with shock, watching on as their friends began to fry, their levels draining down to level 1 once more. "No, I can't allow this!" Nisa shouted, turning to the other humans. "We made a vow to protect them, and dammit, we are going to do just that!" Nisa shouted once more. Gust, Falcom, and Cave were still scared by the destruction being given to the poor Goddesses, but they nodded as well, grabbing their weapons.

With that, Nisa charged towards The Phantom...

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 300, para 2:_

"…and so it truly depends on logic in the end. The world is but a toy in their design. Sometimes I wonder if my life has any meaning, as it appears that there are other beings much higher than the highest one on Celestia…"

* * *

This is part 01 of this chapter. Another part was there, but adding it to this would make the total word count around 25,000, or so. Splitting it is much more convenient. Have a good one, everybody.


	17. PART 3: The Meeting with The Phantom P2

Chapter 22: In which The Phantom causes a major problem within this very universe

Nisa ran straight past the guards that tried to defend The Phantom as she began her preparations for her mighty, super-awesome, mega-ultra, swift justice kick, which should connect with the forehead of the strange man, rendering him unconcious in the process. _It's a plan that sounds too good, that it will work! Wait, is that how it goes? _Nisa thought as she punched a random soldier who was ready to unleash fire upon her wicked soul. In just a few minutes, The Phantom will go from being the epitome of nightmares to a slave for Nisa's boot. She has never been denied before, and today will be no exception!

The Goddesses and Candidates were screaming as the electricity coursed through their godly bodies, making them all shine blue as smoke began to seep through their frames. Even with the electricity making their muscles flinch back-and-forth, their countenances refused to budge, forcing them to endure the painful stabbing of nature's sword without so much as a form of defense. With each strike upon them, their bodies rapidly switched between their mortal form and CPU form, a sight that was both painful to watch, and painful to experience. At points, their bodies got stuck, meaning that one half of their body (Whether it was split from the waist down, or down vertically across their body) was still mortal, and the other was their Goddess form, which made them all look wobbly, as their CPU-persona's were genetically taller than their human forms (even if it was just by one centimeter, as for Blanc's case). I could continue to explain the pain as their blood leaked out of them (since their bodies were technically open because of the size difference), though the ribbon of red pouring out of them didn't last for long, as the electricity burned it all away. It was disgusting, painful, and completely terrifying, and all The Phantom did was watch with that eternal grin of his.

Nisa could barely watch the scene before her, covering her eyes as she sneaked her way across the bodies' flitching in place, making the whole scene look as if it came from the uncanny valley, given how a strobe-light effect took place due to the sheer amount of energy being expelled. It was definitely not the sight that Nisa ever wanted to see, but hopefully once she makes it to The Phantom, this will all end in a beautiful-if-tragic manner. _Fear not, Goddesses, even The Phantom will fall to my mighty foot!_

It was unknown if The Phantom noticed Nisa running towards him or not, but no matter what the answer was, he simple looked in the direction of Noire and Neptune, just a few feet from where Nisa was running down. The two Goddesses were clearly in the worst pain of their lives, screaming their lungs out as steam left their bodies, trailing upwards towards the ceiling and moving quickly to the perch of the throne, escaping behind the foundations of the chair. Electricity coursed through all of them, zapping their legs, spine, arms, head, the whole deal. The voltage was set to nearly 240 volts AC, already enough to kill a human easily; if they weren't Goddesses, they would be jumping about dead right now.

"You still struggle, even knowing that this is needed. I hate you all, dear friends, but this must be done. It is only possible with your lovely contribution to this project!" The Phantom shouted, his eyes suddenly glowing red out of nowhere. Was that like, a gimmick within his body or something? Anywho, he clenched his barely made fist, raising it into the air as it shook violently. "Tonight, you shall witness the potential of my remedy! The author will stand not a single chance against my ability to conquer the wall he barricades us with!"

The makers watched dumbfounded, along with most of the guards (the immature ones were saying things like "cool" and stuff), while Nisa began her ascent up the stairs towards the throne. Her prinny bag jumping about on her back as she ran for her life, she suddenly uttered a war-cry, hoping that The Phantom heard it and was therefore caught by surprised. However, because she is Nisa and I have no control over the flow of the story anymore, how do you personally think it would end? Huh, I can't poll, either? Damn, well…

The Phantom didn't even look in her general direction as she jumped with her leg extended. In just a flash, almost like the flashes occurring all over the Goddesses and Candidates bodies, The Phantom ducked, as though his posture was always crouched. Nisa's eyes grew wide as she suddenly realized that her target was not going to be met. Still, that shouldn't be a problem, as she could easily recover herself by regaining her stance and doing a roundhouse kick while The Phantom wasn't looking. If the swift justice kick failed, then the swift justice roundhouse kick generally finished the job.

But The Phantom was much more prepared then she thought. Without so much as taking a breath, The Phantom extended his arm out, the one that had a strange rake-head on it, grabbing Nisa's foot midflight by the ankle. "Wha?" Nisa said alarmed, suddenly feeling the sensation of being trapped. The Phantom probably didn't exert that much force in the lunge, but he quickly twirled Nisa in the air before flinging her down to the ground in front of Uni and Nepgear. She could have been a pervert and…hey, I would never write a sentence like that! Nisa felt so much pain that she wanted to scream her lungs out as well, though she maintained her control, quickly standing up as The Phantom stood back up, as though that whole scene never existed in the first place.

"I have seen our creators; did I ever tell you that? Sure, I have met the author, but I have seen others. I've seen the likes of people who invested in better steel-work and created the modern oil-drilling system; I've seen people govern their own countries, some very beloved while others were hated, and re-elections will certainly ensue; I've heard of those that captured one race and nearly wiped them out for the sake of governing his own land his way, while there was another who was so heinous with his experiments, he is referred to as an "Angel," though with the suffix of "death;" I've seen even a simple record producer and his four horsemen, who changed the scope of culture for essentially forever. These are the Gods that have made us, and there might even be more, a staggering amount to me, if you should ask. We have our creator, our other creator who is an author avatar, another that is a blasted, twisted Sphenisciforme, and once more, another that wants to explore your universe that followed the conquest ending. We have so many creators, all hell-bent on making our very lives miserable!

"And yet, do you know what each and every one of them lack in? They have made numerous inventions in their own plane of existence that would render my own obsolete, and yet they have never elaborated upon various fields that are quite obvious in my terms. We have invented teleportation, while they stopped at transportation; we have invented flying cars, while they stopped at land-cruisers; we invented holographic computer terminals, and yet they once more stopped at the widescreen. Perhaps they can continue innovating, but they're all so hard press with inventing the same thing, over and over. Did you know that they didn't even find a cure for the common cold? Remember how we properly disposed of that disease nearly 70 years ago? These Creators of ours been around for millennia's, and they still have not stopped the blasted thing!

"But worst of all, none of us have perfected the act of extending life. No, I don't mean allowing people to live for just a few more years; I mean allowing people to survive past their expiration date. The act of eternal life, so that no one will ever have to die out in vain before they had a chance to see it all. And what of the people who have passed away before such an innovation can commence? Have we not trademarked the ability to revive the weary souls of the deceased? All of these inventions, and not a single one pertaining to the development of the recycling of the human genome? It is so obvious, and yet it is so deceitful that it is nearly impossible to perfect. We can keep bodies from fully decomposing, but we can't keep the body from succumbing to the endless pit of despair known as death?

"Well, my dear visitors from that desolate land, I shall introduce you to this one-of-a-kind invention, the one that will successfully rid of the end before us! Many from our universe have written about reviving, about the continuation of life through theories that pertained to the story's logic, though they always were ridiculed with either magic or science that was too bizarre to be even replicated by the strongest minds of any universe known in the multiverse. Oh Lady White Heart, please tell me that your landmass has abandoned the concept that magic still exists within the mighty winds of your harsh climate? Once you become the scientist that I am, you will see that magic is but the thoughts of juveniles who simply refuse to acknowledge the truth! Everything that is perceived as magic is simply the occurrences of nature, natural movements that are to be expected in the world.

" Reviving is not magic, and it never will be magic. What all of you are about to witness is a completely natural process involving the air molecules known by the masses as the shares. Ah, dear…Cave, if I remember correctly; you look at me in a strange fashion. Is it that you are confused by what the words that continue to leave my mouth, wasting my breath in the process, or are you still thinking that I shall reveal an opening, allowing me to die in agony? It seems that every story needs exposition, whether it is called for or not, but because the author would expect me to say the explanation for this post-modern interpretation of the share system, I shall yield this thought from escaping my mind. All I want you to understand is that I shall perform the act of revival, something that our creators will never perfect for another century, millennia's even. It needs the shares from our friendly Goddesses here, which is why they are getting their souls completely zapped in the process. Relax, Heroine of Justice, it will not be fatal; they may be weak, but they will recover momentarily. Oh, where is that idol of yours, anyways? Dead? Whoops, oh well."

The Makers and even the entire army of The Phantom had to just stare into space for quite some time. Gust had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but from where she came from, this is what they would call "insane bull-shit," though due to her age, she of course didn't say that out loud. Cave and Falcom had their mouths open wide, blinking rapidly as they tried to take in whatever The Phantom stated in those previous five paragraphs, randomly bringing up 5pb. out of the blue, before promptly ending his heavy-dialogue. What the hell was this guy smoking? Other universes? A place that held people higher than Celestia? Magic doesn't exist? This guy was just begging for a heavy beating.

"You're a madman," Cave said, shaking her head in disbelief. The Phantom let out a chuckle, his face radiated by the bluish tinge coming off from the sparks emanating from the Goddesses, who were still locked in position as they were fried. He stepped down from his throne, walking briskly towards the humans, his intentions supremely unclear to those around him. The girls watched him with great vigilance as he looked about the room, as though he was lost in a trance.

"You may refer to me as such. I will never hold the thought back that I am indeed insane, off my rocker since the early 50's, possibly earlier. However, my words are nothing but the truth, and everything that has been described, from the topic of different universes to the theory of reincarnation, are all based on fact. Trust my words; the shares of your friends will begin the experiment that will save millions!" The Phantom proclaimed, looking at the flailing Goddesses with delight still frozen on his face.

"You're a monster! How can you even think like this? Stop this now!" Nisa shouted, not believing the sights before her. The Phantom laughed once more, though this laugh was certainly not one of content or contempt. It sounded more as though he was struggling to laugh in the first place. This made Nisa and the others slighty nervous; It Is never good for an insane man to laugh like that.

"You must be patient, children. In one minute, the electrocution of the shares from their bodies will be completed. If we stop this right now, then the results will certainly not be pretty. It will speak the end of all, remember?" The Phantom said, though he had his breath stopped for a second as Falcom began to press on his chest. She confirmed that no matter what he was, his body was as cold as steel.

"Wait just a second. I don't believe you're really doing anything. You keep mentioning these other…worlds, I guess, and you keep talking about an author. Who is this guy? If he's that bad, I'll be happy to take him out!" Falcom said, surprisingly sounding calm with an angry expression at that. Even The Phantom was caught off guard, expecting her to fully destroy all of his thoughts in the blink of an eye. Nah, that's Cave's job here.

"Falcom, let me take over," Cave said, pushing Falcom to the side. With a stern look, she stared The Phantom down. "What you're saying is blasphemy. There is no proof that there is anything higher than the Gods and Goddesses of Celestia; besides the Goddesses, no one has ever set an actual foot on that plane. The whole idea is that you are breaking too many laws with your words, to the point of committing plenty of sins. I am not a religious woman, but if we go to Celestia when we die, you are certainly going to be judged harshly. I recommend taking your words back before it is too late," Cave said, never blinking even once. She is quite the pro at this, isn't she?

She expected a laugh, or maybe a retort that would surely piss her off considerably. Instead, much to her disdain, The Phantom seemed to have ignored her completely, turning his back towards Falcom, who had to admit, wanted to flee besides being the stock adventuress. He tilted his hat downwards, with only the bottom part of his eyes visible to the rest. This had to be roughly a minute, right? Is someone going to stop that electrocution trap? Guys? Someone fix this blasted story!

"Falcom, you _are_ the stock adventuress, correct?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Hm…let's see here…our creators put you in fourth place on a popularity contest, against all the characters in your party. That's pretty good for a DLC character, no?"

Falcom was confused. What on Gamindustri was he talking about? Still, fourth place? She had no idea what DLC meant, but screw it, this conversation suddenly made her day, even with her friends being zapped to death and the most disturbing man she has ever met in her life looking at her with vacant eyes. "R-Really? Golly, I don't know who these people are, but gee, that's nice. I guess people value their heroines!" Falcom answered with a smile, making Cave slap her forehead.

Now The Phantom laughed, to the point that his neck arched up as he looked up towards the ceiling. Falcom instantly regretted her cheerful response. "Ah, yes, you are valued for your character, and surprisingly-good-stats, but you know what? Nobody gives a shit! To them, you are a one-of-a-kind character from a thing I guess is referred to as a 'JRPG,' but here, what have you accomplished in the previous 5 years of your damn life?"

"Um, I helped defeat ASIC…"

"You joined near the end of the adventure, and even then, you only helped on the field. You were not present during the battle against Arfoire, either."

"Well, then I..."

"Protected a village from attack? You destroyed most of the property to defeat, what, an infestation of rats that somehow snuck into the area? Everyone there thanked you, but from what my scouts tell me, they are now afraid of you, and whenever you were going to return, they would begin to fight you off like a damn, blasted animal!"

Falcom began to tear up, though she tried to hold onto her cool. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything wrong! I saved them all, and they thanked me in return. They don't hate me, and even if they did, how could you get that information? You were here all this time!" Falcom shouted, a waterfall coming out of each eye. Dammit, The Phantom laughed again.

"Did you not hear the term 'scouts?' I have thousands of them out in Gamindustri right at this second, all sailing there about a year ago. Took awhile, but they were able to complete their job of scouting out the Goddesses and their friends. How do you think I found about the ASIC Incident? Seriously, though, what use are you? We already have this girl over here, the one with that inferior creature upon her back. Why would we ever need two heroines at once?" The Phantom questioned, his voice becoming deeper as he went along, sounding much more threatening as his words touched our heroes.

"H-How dare you! Just shut up, or I swear, I'm lobbing your head off!" Falcom shouted, almost breaking out into a full cry. She was pissed off, grabbing her own weapon as she was ready to stay true to her word. Cave tried to jump in-between them, but a guard thought this was an attack, making him hold her back. He didn't last long, however, as Cave blasted him down with whatever you call that freaking monstrosity of a weapon. By the time she escaped, however, The Phantom laughed once more.

"You weren't good enough to appear in the main storyline! That's just pathetic! Sure, our friend Cave here was once DLC like you, but at least she served some purpose that you didn't take! I guess you stay true to your name of optional-decision: a stock adventuress that surely over stood her welcome," The Phantom elaborated, unnerved by the heavy sword-like club that was ready to squash his over-sized ego and head. Cave wanted to stop her, but she knew one thing that no one else knew, not even the game developers themselves; Falcom was bad when too much pressure was on her. If someone called her off as something less than what she really was, oh boy, was there going to be a conflict! Cave quickly covered Gust's eyes, wanting the virgin eyes of the alchemist to be protected from the evil around them.

"You take that back, you fucking bastard!" Falcom shouted, not caring if she actually swore; she used bastard before, but the f-bomb…that was a first for her. Still, it was fitting I assume, as she swung her weapon straight at The Phantom's head. Nisa was behind him, ready to sneak attack him, just in case Falcom managed to miss this direct hit. That wasn't possible, though, for Falcom was literally one foot away from the man, and her sword could cover twice that distance. The Phantom was a goner, no doubt about it. Nisa was not able to fell him, but maybe this adventuress had that exact ability.

Whoops, spoke to soon.

The Phantom crouched down at the last second, allowing the blade to traverse through the open air, not even snatching off his hat in the process. Falcom was screaming as the sword sliced through the air molecules around her, along with sudden onomatopoeia of slicing through a rather weak substance. By the time Falcom realized that she ended up missing, Cave made a rather audible groan, a thin, red line running down her cheek as small tributaries ran down from the opening. Falcom quickly reverted to her original, calm-yet-worried face, looking over at Cave as she stumbled around, trying to keep the cut from bleeding too much. "Cave, I didn't mean that!"

"I know, Falcom. Shit, where did he…" Cave asked, looking around frantically as soon as she noticed that the man she really wanted out of her life, was out of her life. Even Nisa was confused, and she was practically staring at The Phantom with eyes that never closed. Even the guards were confused, as they looked about themselves, asking where the flying hell The Phantom went. He was quite the unique specimen, so the whole fact that he just upped-and-vanished without anyone noticing was quite the spectacle to behold.

"Peek-a-boo, dear Falcom. I believe I am right behind you."

Falcom quickly turned to face the suddenly-there Phantom, his face glowing red as he grabbed Falcom by the wrist, specifically the one that sported the weapon. The rest of her party was completely flabbergasted, angry of course, but certainly disturbed in every physical way. "Wha-? Hey, what are you…" Falcom asked alarmed, struggling to free herself. Honestly, she probably could have escaped The Phantom's clutch, but the reason why she was afraid to push herself was that rake on his damn wrist; that thing was as rusty as it was sharp, and let me tell you, you can slice a fruit in half just by dropping it directly on those blades. Falcom knew she had to find another opening, and fast. Unfortunately, speed and lady luck were not on her side that day.

"It's sickening to know that all of you are existing in that plane of existence that our creators reside in, though not as a single entity. Each one of you is just filed under a major title that consists of many unique individuals, most male, mind you, and most in the industry of gaming. There, they are useful; here, you are all simply as fake as I. Fear not, for I too, exist on that plane, though as what I cannot recall. How sad, to see us live our lives, knowing that those groups known as 'companies' are creating us in the style they wanted us to be. We are but mere puppets, and yet you still live as though you are individuals. The idiots you all are!" The Phantom shouted, making the group even more perplexed then before. Companies with their name? Is that even possible? How could there be a Cave Company?

"What are you saying?" Falcom asked, still trying to find a way out of this. By the way, it has been 5 minutes now; someone going to stop the electrocution going on? Come on!

"What I am saying is that I want to test something. You are the personification of that company known by your name, so I have to wonder quite a bit. How connected are you in the first place? Will they feel this?" The Phantom asked, making Falcom's eyes open wide. That didn't sound so pleasing to her, and neither did it to anyone else.

At first, she heard a snap, as though a basket filled with twigs and sticks were scattered about on the floor, being promptly stepped on in the process. It sounded so surreal, and yet, it hurt to think about it. To Falcom, who had her eyes closed the entire time, it sounded as though it was just a few inches in front of her, though that couldn't be right. She opened her eye a little, looking at the rest of her party, who were all grimacing and shocked, breathing and sweating heavily as they all tried to look away from the sight. _What? What's wrong?_ Falcom thought to herself, before she tilted her head to look at her arm that was still within The Phantom's clutches.

She saw the palm of her hand looking back at her, and for a moment, she had no idea why the scene looked wrong. It was too strange for some reason, as she knew that looking at your palm was indeed possible. So, why was it strange? Well, let me tell you, before The Phantom attempts to take my life. You see, she _should _be seeing the back of her hand, or at least see her thumb on its side, for her arm was extended in that manner when she was ready to strike The Phantom down again, or so she thought. In reality, The Phantom forcibly extended her arm out and, with what had to be the strangest twist he had ever given in his very long life, turn Falcom's hand completely backwards, breaking it from the wrist as it now looked back at Falcom. It was…disturbing, to say the least. Once she connected the dots like I have, then she started to scream her lungs.

"Oh god, what…ahhh!" Falcom shouted as she started to flail about. The Phantom laughed, and with a quick thrust, threw Falcom towards a group of soldiers. Like Nisa, she landed hard on the ground, sadly landing on her completely broken hand, bringing about the worst pain she could possibly think of. She flailed about on the ground as she clutched this broken atrocity, making the guards around her back away, scared to do anything that could possibly lend them the exact same fate. That would suck so much, wouldn't it?

"You bastard!" Cave shouted, not caring about her own safety anymore as she tried to block out the terrible sight of Falcom in horrendous pain. She took that gigantic gun-like-blade and hoisted it into the air, jumping at The Phantom as she shouted in vain. The Phantom was still looking at Falcom, watching her bob about on the floor, though that did not faze him from quickly ducking once more, making Cave miss entirely. However, Cave did not waste any time, and she quickly brought the blade downwards, hoping to smack The Phantom directly on the head; it wouldn't really hurt him, but hopefully it would stun him to a certain degree.

But The Phantom was a step ahead, as she brought the blade down into nothing but the air (poor air. Doesn't get any slack at all in this story). _Dammit, how fast is this bastard? Shit, is he…teleporting? _Cave thought in horror, realizing that it might just be impossible to even hurt this guy. Still, she held her weapon tightly in her hands, looking around cautiously for the missing man of darkness. She had to stay in the game, or she was going to end like Falcom in no time.

Probably because she was looking around to the sides more than looking forward, she missed The Phantom looking directly at her from the front, as though he was there all along. Once Cave turned to face him, it was already too late, as he struck her repeatedly in the stomach, making her gag as saliva fell out with each punch impacting her stomach. It ended up getting to the point where she ended up coughing a tiny bit of blood; no matter how crazy this man was, he packed quite the punch! Cave was dazed by the time The Phantom grabbed her neck, throwing her as well, though towards an opening instead of the guards.

Nisa knew it was her turn next. Her friends couldn't do a single thing, but perhaps she could. _Okay…okay, this is definitely not the greatest situation I have ever been in. Still, Falcom and Cave were attacked because they made themselves noticeable by calling out their attacks; even I, the mighty hero of this story, made the same mistake back there, but no more! If I can just sneak up to him, then perhaps I can down him long enough to subdue him completely. Please, let this be the case!_

Gust was hiding in the background, and Nisa knew that if she messed up, Gust was next. She still had some bad blood with the young alchemist, but she didn't want her to get hurt by this madman. No, she was going to take him out, personally. He will certainly stand no chance against her, especially if she implored tactical espionage action upon The Phantom's ass! _Okay, Nisa, move out with the greatest sense of pride imaginable!_

She was dreadfully wrong in her judgment. Even after making no noise what-so-ever, The Phantom made the fastest turn she had ever experienced in her life, and with an extended fist, he punched Nisa directly in the face, knocking her straight to the floor. "Damn…" she uttered as she wondered if her nose was broken. She wanted to get up and try again, but her muscles begged her to stay her ground, making her rest her tired body as she was already thrown and hurt more than in Lastation's Police Corps. _Oh no, Gust…_

The Phantom looked at the little girl, who made an "eep" and hid behind her cane-like-stick-thingy. The Phantom pranced towards her, and while she was still pretty petrified by the disturbing gent in front of her, she managed to muster up some courage, as her countenance grew determined and prompt, her staff (yeah, that's what it was) held up in front of her, ready to defend her body.

"Stay back, or Gust will make you regret ever hurting her friends and Nisa," Gust shouted, hurting Nisa even more as she lay on the floor. The Phantom tilted his head toward her, still smiling even though he was clearly going to hurt her without any form of warning. She wanted to throw that poisonous potion that lingered in her pouch (dear god, she carries something like that around?) towards him, but in doing so, she would poison the entire room, killing her and her friends off as well. Even if she could throw it, her hands were like glue to her body, frozen just like the Goddesses were.

"Child, I do not wish to hurt you, but if you really insist that I might, then I guess I have no choice. Relax, this will definitely not hurt. I hate to see children in pain," The Phantom said as he promptly kicked Gust down to the floor, making the little girl cry as she held her stomach (wow, what an ass! He was hurting Ram and Rom right now, anyways, so he was just a huge hypocrite. Seriously…). With that, all of the makers were completely inert, and he was the last one standing in the middle of the room.

"I did not want to hurt you all initially, but I decided to do so. I remembered that most of Gamindustri's kind were jerkasses, anyways," The Phantom said, walking quickly over to the throne once more. Nisa and the others watched as he opened the armrest once more, pressing that same button that he used last time. "Hm, we went over the time limit by about 7 minutes there. Oh well, that's validity for you! Besides, it shouldn't hinder with this experiment."

Soon, the electricity faded, and the Goddesses and Candidates were thrown to the floor, gasping for air as smoke escaped their frames. Burns were covering their bodies, and while the electricity was not fatal in the slightest, it certainly weakened each and every one of then in an instant. Even the strong-willed Blanc had a hard time standing on her own two feet, trying to comfort her two little-sisters, who were crying from nearly being baked to death (wow, this is a terrible part ot write. This is why it wasn't supposed to exist in the first place!).

"Wow, Phantom, that was uncool," Neptune shouted, trying to flex her muscles as she still felt as though her body was split in half; she was still in her mortal form, but the pain was still there, and some blood dripped around the middle-portion of her body. The rest of the girls had the same story, barely containing their grief as The Phantom clapped in content.

"Okay, you promised that we would not be in pain, or taken as enemies, and yet you nearly fry us all to death with these…I don't even know how to begin to describe them! I will certainly make you regret fighting me," Vert yelled, though she was in too much pain to even stand. Her whole body was shaking, and she smelt the terrible scent of burnt rubber, which worried her greatly.

"What the hell were you talking about, anyways? All that spiel over different universes…how stupid do you think you are?" Blanc shouted, still finding the strength to talk tough. She held onto Rom and Ram tightly, trying to give them some comfort from the pain that no kid should ever endure. As expected, The Phantom laughed.

"Okay, if I must, I shall re-explain it to you, but relax, viewers, I shall skip this part," The Phantom said.

"Viewers? Seriously, what are you smoking?" Noire asked as The Phantom began his exposition from the top.

"…and that's why Brocolli and Marvelous remain unseen in this timeframe; the creator has not played the third adventure, and until then, he has no idea who they truly are! Such a juvenile, yes?" The Phantom finished, even including a part that was not originally there to begin with. When he finished it off, Neptune looked at him befuzzled.

"Okay, but that still does not explain why you had to shock us to near-death! Seriously, that really hurt!" Neptune shouted, rubbing her head as she tried to process all of this new information from the antagonist. The Phantom scratched his invisible beard or chin, looking up at the ceiling as he appeared to be contemplating something either devious or simply insulting. Uni was growing impatient.

"Well, what is it, you dickweed? Did you just do because you like seeing girls in so much pain?" She shouted, pouting as Nepgear looked at her with worried eyes. Uni was definitely hurt by that frying, and looking at some of the cuts that were still exposed, she saw that they were disturbingly burnt off; either that is a good thing, or the worst thing that could ever happen. Nonetheless, The Phantom looked down upon them all, chuckling to himself.

"Remember what I said about shares and the process of reincarnation? Who would have thought that liquidized air used for humans with a mutated gene would be the key ingredient in reviving the cells of a dead organism? Surely it was inspiring!" The Phantom proclaimed with enthusiasm. Finally, his plan was going to commence, and there was nothing the Goddesses and Candidates could do to stop him. With a press of a button on the floor, the throne suddenly began to turn as the ground shifted in a huge circle. The girls had to look on in shock as the throne vanished from standard sight, replace now by one beautiful casket, one that has clearly seen the terror of time, but managed to still hold onto its gracefulness.

"So you stole all of our shares just so you _think _that someone or something can be revived? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Noire shouted, though just like Vert, she was unable to stand up, forced kneel as she looked on at The Phantom ahead. He was still laughing his mind out. He turned his back to the Goddesses to face the mighty casket, caressing the lid of the box rather delicately, chuckling to himself as thoughts continued to run through his mind. It made the rest of the girls shiver.

"My dear visitors, you really must realize that this was indeed needed in order to save the world. The sacrifice of the shares was indeed painful and quite melancholic, to say the least, but it was a needful sacrifice! Our world will continue on just like the natural world of our creators, and there is nothing that the author can do to stop this new plan of mine!" The Phantom shouted, swinging his fist towards my general direction. I really hate this story now…

"Once you are all dead, this world will become a better place for both me and this soul that lies within the case."

Vert snarled. "How dare you? You broke every word that has ever come out of you vapid mouth. I have had the feeling that you were going to kill us, but may I ask why you want to? You insult us every minute, throw all of these insane theories towards us, and we have never truly heard of you until now. Why are going through with this?" Vert asked, steam apparating from her ears. Do I really have to say that he laughed again?

"Ladies, I guess you truly don't remember. You were all not around at this point in time, but your parents were most certainly there, all rulers of Gamindustri across various different nations that have come-and-gone. Do you know of the Lady that was once the CPU of this prosperous land?" The Phantom asked, suddenly sounding how he sounded when he was talking with Neptune just moments before. The girls all looked at one another.

"Y-Yeah, I heard of her. So what?" Blanc answered, which was generally the answer the rest of the cast gave, though some gave it in a lesser form of arrogance. The Phantom nodded, as though this was the answer that he was definitely expecting to be given.

"Do you all know of her fate? Oh, forgive me, my lady; do you know the fate of CPU Turbo, the once beautiful maiden of this wondrous landscape?" The Phantom asked once more, now on the other side of the casket, looking completely ready to open it up and reveal the contents to the world.

"I don't know, she quit, or something?" Neptune replied, still feeling rather woozy from all of the electrocution. She should feel lucky though; the whole fact that she was speaking at all means that paralysis has not occurred. Paralysis is no joke, kids!

"No, she would never quit! I knew her well back in my day, before I was trapped inside this inferno machine, this travesty of my own creation-"

"Oh, blah-blah, I'm so sorry for myself…listen, it's your own damn fault that-"

"Shut your whore mouth!"

It was Blanc that said the blah-blah, and if she was forced to be quiet, and she actually complied, then you know that something was truly wrong with the world. The Phantom continued:

"She was definitely a beautiful and kind soul. I will admit that she may have been too stubborn for her own good, but she was a brilliant leader and tactician, one that was always ready to serve for her country as much as her own royal army. You would never find a more gentle soul like hers; even if another army invaded Lan16, she would always go through a peaceful negotiation before any violence was to occur, and that violence rarely occurred thanks to her grand words. Even during the Second Polygonal War, she refused to fight in ways that lead to a soldier dying! Ah, how I long to hear her angelic voice once more," The Phantom recalled, appearing to be lost in thought, though that perpetual grin was definitely misleading with everything about him.

"Okay, she sounds like a good person, but what does this have to do with anything? What _did_ happen to her? I…remember Lan16 existing, but I never associated with it," Vert asked, finding herself surprised that she was actually interested in what the man had to say. Even Blanc, who wanted nothing more than to rip The Phantom's head off, was finding herself curious about this ancient Goddess. She never cared to know much about her, but hearing about her personality was slightly interesting. She was alive during her time, and was even the Goddess of Lowee by the time of Lady Turbo's death, but she never once had a conversation with her, or even had the chance to actually _see _her. What could have happened to such a soul like hers?

"And then, out of the blue, your ancestors slaughtered her like a pig! They invaded the land, killed off her army, burned most of the villages to the ground, and forced her out of the Basilicom. She was strangled, electrocuted, sliced-to-the-bone, and worst of all, submerged in poison during her final moments. One must wonder what she must have felt when she saw her close friends from the neighboring landmasses slaughter her to her own demise. It is so sickening, and your families were the cause of it all!" The Phantom yelled, pointing at all of the Goddesses and the Candidates.

"That can't be true! I don't know my mother that well, but she would never do something that terrible! Histoire told me that she never killed a single person! Goodness, she said it was _you _that did it, you monster!" Nepgear shouted, feeling slightly disgraced at the words of heresy escaping The Phantom's metallic-and-fake lips.

"Yeah, how dare you say that? My parents would never harm anyone, especially another Goddess. I mean, it's not like we're afraid of them or anything, but it's just wrong!"

"I agree. My family joined Gamindustri later on, so I do believe that they had no interaction with…Lady Turbo? Yes, that's her name; no matter what, though, I highly doubt that any of us caused her harm, parents or not."

"You know what, fuck it. I am seriously going to kick your ass right about now. Once I get my strength, my pare-father, will take vengeance on you in the form of my fucking hammer!"

Everyone besides Neptune had something to say to The Phantom (Neptune was just nodded vigorously. She didn't feel like talking right now), all disbelieving in the words he had spoken. Still, The Phantom was completely unfazed by this whole protest, as though once again he anticipated it. Look, if he knows about our word, it is possible he had read the game script, and if that is the case, we might as well be all fucked right about now.

"Silence, for it does not matter what the lot of you think! Today is the too-long anniversary of Lady Turbo's death by your ancestor's hands, but this will be the last night she will have to rest eternally! These shares will revive her right now, and you will all proclaim to the world that I have finally outshone our creators by a large margin. No more will man be reliant on stories of making beings that are monstrous yet still smart at the same time, or stories of magical reviving skills from a man in the biggest coat I have ever seen in my life. Now, the love of my life will return to the land of the living, and I shall be the one who has conquered the eternal struggle between life and death!"

The Goddesses, Candidates, Makers, and his own guards had to watch dumbfounded as The Phantom laughed diabolically, stomping his foot on the ground three times, making many assume he has completely lost it. However, that stomping activated another switch (he loved them ground switches) that soon caused a major cloud of whitish material to appear on top of the casket. Everything looked all too surreal to take in, and it made the rest of the cast rather perplexed as they were sick. Whatever The Phantom just did made the entire world shake, as a small quake occurred around the building.

"Behold, the liquid molecules known as the shares! With the flip of this switch, you will all witness the moment of a lifetime! Fear not, the shares will return to your body, but it will be processed in this body first. Be prepared, ladies, for the show is about…to begin!"

The girls were all thinking the same thing, all saying that The Phantom was just filled with shit and nothing was going to happen. He couldn't possibly revive a person's life, could he? He just couldn't!

But then he pressed that switch, and all hell broke loose.

The lights in the Basilicom flickered as the share cloud suddenly vaporized into the casket, causing the ground to tremor just a little bit more, though it ended faster than you expected it to. The Phantom continued to laugh, rising his hands into the air as his laughter became more pronounced. While he didn't demand it to happen, his entire body of soldiers began to laugh as well, though they were all confused by this. The girls looked about themselves; they were all going to die in a nuthouse. How fitting for this series.

It was then that, less than 10 seconds after the switch was flipped, the casket began to hop about, making the two little White Sisters shriek in terror as The Phantom continued to laugh. "Yes, it's working! It's working! So many decades I have studied this, and it is finally reality!" He shouted as the rest of the room was filled with laughter. The girls were beginning to feel the hairs on their neck stick up.

Inside the casket was the age-old skeleton of the great Lady Turbo. She has decomposed by now, being dead for nearly half-a-century, but once that cloud of shares invaded the casket through its cavities, the body began to change. The rusty-colored bones began to shake and flinch, almost as though it was in stop-motion, as skin began to be reproduced quickly. To those who hate body horror, you might want to press start and click "skip cutscene," because this gets pretty heavy. Her whole body shook violently and uncanny-ly, each muscle reforming itself as the skin began to replinish itself. Soon, toenails and fingernails and hair and eyes began to reform, yellowy without the proper pigmentation, but still living, nonetheless. Lady Turbo, once lying dormant in her eternal sleep, began to wake up, and when her opened, zombie-like eye took over the screen, you know I lost this battle to retake control of my story.

The Casket began to shake violently, to the point of bouncing about. Audible noises escaped the thick crevices of the casket, and The Phantom looked on with delight. "I've done it! She's alive! Come, my love, let me open the cover for you! Embrace the world you have loved so much!" The Phantom shouted. The girls have all gulped; oh god, this was going to suck.

With the cover gone, the casket stopped flinching for just a second, with the share cloud escaping quickly into the atmosphere once more. Who knows what else was needed to revive Lady Turbo, but whatever it was, The Phantom succeeded in a job even we have a hard time understanding. Soon, she sat up, staring blindly as her eyes began to reform with every proper muscle needed. The girls looked on with horror, most turning pale as the ancient Goddesses yawned for the first time in roughly 6 decades.

"Oh, Lady Turbo, you have returned! You are as beautiful as ever!" The Phantom said, sounding as though he would be in tears at this sight. Lady Turbo was completely alive; she must have been stunned, but she was definitely alive. She blinked, looked around, rubbed her eyes, felt her stomach, felt her hair; to The Phantom, she was the same Turbo he had seen back in the day.

To the rest of the cast, she was the hideous thing ever seen.

She was only half complete, as half of her skin was still dead, and only a partial part of her face was completely reconstructed; the other parts were still showing exposed bone-and-muscle, a sight that definitely terrifying. She was definitely a zombie, and if she is a zombie Goddess…uh oh.

"Oh, Polygonal Gods," Noire said, stunned as Lady Turbo stepped out of the casket.

* * *

_Meanwhile, back in Corporatol City_

Linda was running like a madman, trying desperately to get help quick. Her vision was once more getting blurry, and her muscles were beginning to tense up, with sweat pouring out of her like there was no tomorrow. The ship she once took shelter in had supplies, but most were completely destroyed, to the point that if she tried to eat most of it, she might end up with bad effects, the worst being bochilism, or something like that. Why was she like this again? The weather cooled, and she drank a lot of water, so this made absolutely no sense.

Well, you see readers, when she slept out in the forest, she was definitely exposed to the elements. This includes the legendary Brontok worm, which is native to this land and Planeptune, enjoying warm and moist climates as it snakes around to bite its prey. Its poison is extremely deadly, and just one simple bite could end even the healthiest of men. Sadly, Linda wasn't the healthiest to begin with, so she had the poison coursing through her body, making her drowsy, confused, and uncoordinated. If she did not receive help within a couple of hours, she will sadly perish on this Landmass.

She was lucky to find the charred field, which still had flames spewing out in certain spots, with the house on the far corner completely gone from reality, reduced to nothing but burning rubble. She had no idea who inhabited this town, but whatever happened, she just hoped someone was in there to help her.

Luckily, the zombies were all gone, meaning it was a safe cruise directly into the gate. Once she made it outside the gates, though, she passed out, the poison effectively hurting her brain by a large degree. She was definitely not having the best of luck, was she? She was lucky that this particular civilization-relic was still inhabited, as Mattel was the first to find her, where she was lying on the dirty road with her tube-top and some cargo pants protecting her delicate skin. He didn't know what to make of her, never seeing a person with light purple skin before, but nevertheless he took her over to the doctor, w here Compa and IF were still located. Does hilarity ensue?

"Look out, doc, we got here another one," Mattel said as he placed Linda on one of the beds. To protect her dignity, he quickly place a blanket over her body, hoping he didn't disturb her. It was around then that he noticed the strange mark on her neck, which he realized was the bit of a Brontok Worm. "I think she's suffering from poison, you know, from a Brontok worm. You think you can fix her?" Mattel asked. The doctor rolled over; a handsome man with black hair. Yep, that is his description. Hard to make a personality for a character that rarely appears to begin with.

"Hm, I think you're right on this one. She seems to be entering the advance stages of the poison, though I think I can handle it," the doctor said. He waved farewell to Mattel as he began to inject some nice serum into Linda's neck. Brontok Worms were indeed deadly, but if the poison is treated with a special serum, the person will be 99% okay (100% is too much pressure, you know?). Once that was done, the doctor tucked her in the bed, waiting for her eventual awaking later in the day. For now, he had to make sure the patients down stairs were okay as well. Relax, readers, you will know about them later, since The Phantom really screwed things up here.

Compa was going to go get IF a snack, so she began to walk out of the room when she noticed the bed Linda was sleeping in. Thinking that it was someone else entirely, Compa walked over to see if the person had a name written down on a pad. Instead, however, she saw _who_ the being really was, and gasped as she nearly fell to the floor. "M-Miss Underling? What's she doing here?" Compa asked, not believing for a second that the girl that wouldn't stop following them managed to follow them to a land far from Gamindustri. She tried closing her eyes and counting to ten, but Linda was still there, sleeping as the cure coursed through her veins, eliminating the poison from her body.

"Do I tell Iffy about this? Her blood-pressure's high as it is, so she might get even more stressed out. Oh, what do I do?" Compa asked out loud, causing IF to overhear. IF has been childhood friends with Compa, so she has come to know exactly what each and every loud question from her meant, and they were usually bad things.

She was pretty healed right about now, but she still had to hold her chest, as pain still erupted every now and then; Doctor Compa specifically told her not to leave the bed, but she wanted to make sure our ditzy friend is okay, instead of being eaten by zombies or something.

"Yo, Compa, are you all right? What's with the loud question?" IF asked as soon as she opened the door. Compa turned towards the door, growing furious as her eyes became, eh, dotty. IF knew that the classic Compa-style rage was to be expected right now, so she braced for the worst.

"Iffy, I told you time-and-time again; you need to rest in order to get that boo-boo to heal! How do think Miss 5pb. will react if she saw you all limping?" Compa asked, angry but at the same time still trying to cheer IF up. IF had to admit that she liked Compa for that very reason; no matter how dark the situation is, she will always be the light at the end of the tunnel, or something as poetic as that. Still, she hated the fact of being ordered around.

"Compa, I'm fine! I just need to stretch my legs for a bit. Seriously, why were you asking questions out loud? Something bad happen again?" IF asked with her hands folded, ignoring the searing pain that drove up her entire body. Compa sighed, knowing that IF was hard to reason with, especially when it came to her well-being. Well, at least she was starting to act like her old self again. That's always a plus.

"If you must know, Iffy, look in the bed and tell me who you see," Compa said cheerfully, folding her arms behind her back as a sweatdrop appeared on her forehead. IF wanted to be alerted by this, but knowing that this series never gets dark-oh yeah, 5pb. might be dead. Okay, bad choice of words, but IF knew that whatever was in that bed was something that was probably harmless. It probably wouldn't hurt to see what lay underneath those covers, unless it was a naked woman or man, in which IF would simply smack Compa.

When she walked over and saw that familiar face, IF actually looked surprisingly calm, making Compa confused. "Don't you think it's strange? How did she get here? Did she follow us on the boat?" Compa asked rapidly, curious as to why Miss Underling would want to follow them. ASIC was completely gone, crime was obsolete, and really, she thought Linda became a better person, but that thought came from her misinterpreting the ending. Maybe she really wanted to be their friends, which would make Compa feel like a jerk, thinking back at all the times the group was so mean to her. _Well, she did deserve it sometimes, but still…_

"Eh, she was probably a stowaway. I'm not that surprised, honestly. Look, if she's sleeping now, just let her. When the rest of the group comes back and she wakes up, then we will forcibly interrogate her!" IF said, shouting by the last couple of words. Compa was taken back by that.

"Woah, Iffy, we don't want to scare her. What if she wants to be our friend?" Compa asked sincerely. IF rolled her eyes over Compa's naivety.

"Compa, she might want to do that, but we still can't trust her. We'll have to make sure she wants to be our friend before we let her, you know?" IF replied, quickly checking her blue phone, though she still had no reception this far out in the landmass. Bummer, ain't it?

"Okay, Iffy, but we'll wait until she wakes up. For now, I want you in that bed this instant! I don't want you to be hurting that wound any more than it already is!" Compa demanded, raising her fist randomly in the air. IF shook her head, though she did so with a smile.

"All right, jeez. Just make sure the snack is healthy, all right? I don't want to go fat now," IF said, almost laughing to herself, though laughing hurt the wound more than walking, so she held it back. With that, IF left the scene, and with one last glimpse over Linda, Compa continued her quest to find that snack for IF to enjoy for the time being. She just hoped that the rest of the party was okay with The Phantom. If he did anything to hurt them in anyway, Compa will not be the nice doctor that we have all come to know and love.

Linda was still asleep, her purple skin turning back to its usual shade as the poison got vaporized. She was going to make it, but how will she feel when she discovers the people around her? Will she flip out, or will she be thoughtful and thank them? Ah, it's Linda, we already know the answer to that one!

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 300, para 2:_

"…though, Celestia holds the powers of the greatest warriors and Gods imaginable, and yet it is hard to pinpoint exactly where Celestia is. Can it really be high up in the clouds, or is it in a relative spot near the other side of the planet? Either way, the whole study of this mystical place is staggering to me, and I hope I will get answers the longer I work within this field. Celestia will one day be taught to me, and when that day comes, I shall be more prepared than the paranoid during stormy weather…"

* * *

Sorry for late update. Lost power for some time, but here is the other half of the chapter. _Early posted message. Disregard._


	18. PART 3: Lady Orange Heart Attacks

Chapter 23: In which The Phantom certainly pulls a cheap one out of nowhere

"My beautiful Goddess, how long it had to have been for you! Finally, after all these blasted decades of pain and misery, you return to the throne!" The Phantom shouted, laughing inbetween his words as he still couldn't believe his eyes; he has finally, after studying and performing failure after failure, can finally allow those that proceeded him in life to rest peacefully, knowing now that it is indeed possible to resurrect a fallen soul. Oh, glory days, dear leaders! No, it is not glorious, why would I even-

The girls and soldiers didn't even have pupils anymore. This was impossible; there was no way this could have happened. Maybe if she was the seal to something, then yes, she could then be revived, but dying out naturally was irreversible. Dear god, he destroyed the natural life-cycle, and an ancient Goddess from many decades ago, long remembered as the tragic-leader who unfortunately fallen many years too soon into her rule, now sat in front of them, half-dead and half-alive at the exact same time. Her eyes were still devoid of life, and her jaw hanged on its hinges as though it wasn't properly placed on in the first place. The girls all agreed that nightmares will be produced from this scene in the near future.

"How did you-? I mean, how did…wha?" Vert stammered, her jaw on the floor as The Phantom laughed his own heart out, if he managed to have one. Lady Turbo didn't even bother to look over in her direction, simply resting her head on her fist as she looked directly forward; it was currently unknown if she saw the infidels that now lay hurt on her now-dusty floor. "This is impossible! You can't just revive a person like this! Do you not see her, Phantom? She barely looks natural," Vert said, still stuck in an endless amount of surprise and disbelief.

The Phantom stopped laughing, looking directly into the eyes of Turbo, who still has not acknowledged him. Gust puffed her cheek out. "Only advance alchemists can perform this, and no one ever succeeded. Gust is lead to believe that you somehow perform well on alchemy?" Gust asked, surprisingly not caring that someone that was once dead was staring her down (though she probably wasn't noticing her, anyways). The Phantom looked down on her, his face lighting up red once more, making his silvery head look like a rather shiny tomato.

"Dear child, alchemy is but a baby's term for 'nothing-but-luck.' Alchemy could never succeed in doing this! It was all science, and all of it were proper formula's that people have made, but have never understood, until I have arrived upon this planet. Do you not see her, staring at you? Her mind might not have fully developed as of late, but rest assured, she will soon become her old self once more!" The Phantom shouted for the hundredth time. He gazed at the dead-but-not Goddess, chuckling like a madman.

"…"

_The Bitch can't even talk. How inspiring, eh, Phantom? _Blanc laughed in her head, coughing out smoke as the two sisters of hers bawled their eyes out. Strangely, as though she possessed the ability to read the minds of those that are weak (which I don't believe she has, though being The Phantom's story now, you can never tell), Lady Turbo looked over towards Blanc, who stopped that laughing in her head as she held onto both Ram and Rom as hard as she could. "What the hell are you looking at? Seriously, if this all we were acquired for, can we leave now? This place is too dusty, and that is seriously not helping my sinuses!" Blanc yelled, still choking up some smoke residue that escaped down her throat. Each cough made the girls cry harder, and that, too, was not helping her sinuses one bit.

"Lady White Heart, you are indeed correct! I now have no justification to keep you in the care of my people and my Basilicom. Once you leave, I'll kill off the rest of the petty pawns in the towns dotting the landmass, and eventually I'll rid of Gamindustri in its entirety! With Lady Turbo by my side, anything is forever possible in this forsaken world!" The Phantom said, folding his arms behind his back as he looked back at the Goddess perched on her throne. Even with her name being said a couple of times, she still didn't change her gaze from Blanc, which was making everyone, even The Phantom himself, completely nervous.

"Woah, what was that?" Noire shouted, coughing herself as smoke escaped her body; damn the world around her for being shocked for no apparent reason. "You save the world, and then you freaking destroy it? What kind of logic is that?"

The Phantom gave himself a facepalm. "Dear Polygonal Gods, do any of you read back into the text? I think somewhere back there, I have stated that I sincerely hate you all, and I also recall Histoire retelling you all a tale of my past before this whole madness began; yes, I am aware of that scene, you are not required to ask. Hell, even without looking back, you said it yourself, Lady Purple Heart. I am the antagonist, and will never be anything but the antagonist. That is how this plot works, dammit! Was that not the case for all the other adventures you have endured? Did you really think that I was just going to save the world and leave? Ha, what imbeciles you all are! We have been repeating the same lines and thoughts for the past three chapters, anyways, so I might as well kill you all as well," The Phantom finished another one of his long paragraphs of text.

_He's right…all we've been doing was saying how crazy he was, and he always spouts out his random thoughts. Goodness, are we that boring? _Nepgear thought as she tried to massage Uni's shoulder, which had a rather serious burn spread across the blade. Lady Turbo shifted her gaze towards the young CPU Candidates, making them both flinch as the eyes of the once-deceased watched their every twitch. Lady Turbo didn't even seem to blink; only stare as though she was petrified over something, something that has doomed her to be scarred for the rest of her supposed-to-be-short life. Nepgear could see Vert attempting to stand, though it always ended in vain.

"Damn you! I knew we should have never listened to you! We could have stopped you, but why the hell-"

"Didn't you? That is a very good question, my friend, and I do believe this is around the 20th time you have either thought of this, or have said it out loud. Seriously, the readers must be getting bored by now."

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Noire shouted, grimacing as her muscles managed to lift her surprisingly-heavy body off the ground, allowing her to stand on her own two feet, although she was clearly ready to fall back down, making the situation worse. Hey, at least two Goddesses managed to stand! Lady Turbo even looked shocked at this sight, the only emotion that was produced by her during this scene. That too, friends, was progress.

The Phantom tilted his head. "I'm sorry, are you standing because, I don't know, you want to fight me? Even in your current state?" he asked. With a silence following for just a couple of seconds, he looked about at the soldiers that still surrounded the premises of the room, and with a heartfelt chuckle, everyone burst into laughter once more. Lady Turbo was still staring out in the distance as The Phantom began to act all crazy once more. This just infuriated the Goddesses even more, but you probably could infer that already.

"S-Stop laughing! Yeah, I'm hurt, but I can still kick your butt anyway that I want!" Noire shouted, blushing as the soldiers laughed even harder. Lady Turbo closed her eyes, looking rather indifferent towards the scene; did her mind ever show up in her brain? It made one guess for quite some time.

"Stop laughing at my Noirey! Phantom, we're both calling you out!" Neptune shouted, going into a western drawl as she finished off that phrase. Out of all of them, Neptune seemed to be the least injured, as she stood without much of a problem, though pain was still in her eyes. The two Candidates of Lastation and Planeptune looked at their older sisters, and what appeared to be based on instinct alone, both stood as well, their muscles begging them to follow gravity and stay low on the ground. Soon, Blanc joined in as well (she forced Ram and Rom to stay on the ground, not allowing either of them to get hurt anymore then they are now). "Look at that, Phantom! Even when hurting like a motha, we still are a thousand times cooler than you ever dreamed of!" Neptune shouted, placing her hands on hips, as though to commemorate how much of a badass she felt she was within her head.

Okay, readers, what do you think The Phantom did next? Did he look shocked and send his soldiers to attack the girls? Did he try to keep his cool and sound rather disturbing? Or, get this, did he laugh out loud and look all crazy, like he continued to do in the previous chapters? Yeah, come on, do I even have to write it? Oh well…

The Phantom, however, laughed aloud, stepping down rather quickly, right in front of the Purple-Haired Goddess, who didn't even attempt to flinch at his presence. "Lady Purple Heart, surely you aren't serious? All I wanted was to revive Lady Turbo, and then kill you while you were still weak; where does this confrontation come into play? I looked at another universe that followed this scene, and yet it didn't have this! Hm, perhaps I inadvertedly created another universe than the one that I was trying to make…what did I write on page 635 again?" The Phantom asked himself. Neptune was now shocked, surprised to see that the antagonist was actually doubting his own plan; that generally means that the villain is rather harmless, right?

"Ha! Seriously, Phantom, I have no idea what your talking about, with all this universe stuff; I mean, multiple universes? That's farfetched! (Cue a facepalm from Noire) Still, if you can't even formulate a plan, then you are worst then the egg-shaped doctor himself!" Neptune boosted, performing that style of laugh that random people in anime do where they sound like an older, sinister woman. Everybody got that?

The Phantom now looked at the ground, a finger stroking that metallic chin of his. He began to pace about the room in front of the Goddesses, Lady Turbo watching his every step with dead eyes. "This does not make any sense. Were my theories wrong? They shouldn't have the ability to stand upright…what in the world is going on? This certainly makes no sense! They're supposed to still be on the ground, I kill them, and then Lady Turbo and I end Gamindustri together, along with my very special friends, of course! Unless…" The Phantom stopped his movements and looked back at Lady Purple Heart, who now flinched, not liking this sudden shift within him. "Lady Purple Heart, I will only fight you, along with the other Goddesses and Candidates, if you transform into your CPU form. Please, it will be disatrous if you stay in your human forms. I'll wipe the floor with you in that case! I want a fair match, so come; transform!"

_Oh dear, what is this devilish man thinking up? _Vert questioned, not liking how The Phantom had no distinguishable emotions that could be read by her; With the exception of that endless grin, he was completely unreadable in any sense of the word. Neptune, unlike Lady Green Heart, was still very prideful in her words, and felt that she will still be able to defeat The Phantom, regardless of what he might have up his sleeve at that given moment. _Neptune, call yourself down! I do not believe we stand a chance against him! I hate saying it, but we have to somehow escape. _Vert was thinking up some rather smart words, but because her jaw was now hurting rather hellishly, she couldn't formulate the words with her vocal cords, forcing her to become temporarily mute. This was not going to help in the long run if Neptune said anything stu-

"Okay, you asked for it! Ladies, even you Nep Jr., let's show this monster the true awesome power of teamwork!" Neptune shouted, going all corny for some reason (She recalled a cutscene from a certain game starring a certain hedgehog). Vert grimaced at this, breaking the common writing law of separating character thought-and-speech into separate paragraphs by thinking: _Dammit, Neptune, what are you doing? Can't you see he's trying to lure us into a trap…still, maybe she's smarter than I know. She has proven herself to be an excellent strategist out on the field. I sure hope she knows what she's doing…_

Vert, Vert, Vert. You should know that Neptune is only good as a strategist out on the field; when she has to make some rational decisions _not_ on the field, she's…rather ditzy and ignoramusy, to say the least. Nevertheless, the entire party that had the ability to transform (with the exceptions of Ram and Rom) did exactly as they were told, regardless of the fact that Blanc was mortified by the thought of it, remembering the painful sensation she experienced a day ago out in the forested area. _This is going to suck, isn't it? _Blanc asked within her head.

The room glowed white, blinding the entirety of the rest of the people as the Goddesses transformed into their CPU forms. When the flash ended, the heavenly countenances of Gamindustri's rulers appeared before the unmoved Phantom, all armed with the swords and guns crafted in Celestia (or, in Black Sister's case, crafted from CFW Brave), ready to slice The Phantom in pieces. "Hm…" The Phantom sighed, indicating that, perhaps, his strange plan of some sorts that really wasn't explained all that well has failed miserably.

"Phantom, prepare to face the darkest judgement Gamindustri can ever provide!" Lady Black Heart shouted, her sword prepared over her head, its bright glow shining against the muted colors of the desolate Basilicom. The other Goddesses forgot the pain that they had experienced from the electrocution, looking fully prepared to kick ass, just like their earlier days in the previous trilogy. Yet, because he is a douchebag, The Phantom did nothing more but fold his arms, watching intently at the Goddesses before him. Nisa watched from the back, still feeling intense pain in her nose as the worst thing imaginable was about to occur. That is correct; it will be worst than The Phantom reviving a dead Goddess, or everybody pratically being injured. If The Phantom was unfazed, then what chance did the Goddesses have?

Hearing a sudden noise that sounded like a creak, the Goddesses looked up beyond The Phantom, now looking up towards the throne, where Lady Orange Heart was supposed to be located. Despite the fact that she looked like she was still dead, Lady Turbo was now standing, her face filled with nothing but contempt as she began to walk like a zombie towards the others. She was making an audible noise, sounding what might have been a cross between a dying puppy and a diseased goat (Sick, I know, but as the author, I have no idea how else to describe it). Her rotting figure, barely covered by the loose fitting dress she was buried in (the revival process didn't revive her previous weight, so she was close to being like a twig) , was twitching about with every step she took, sadly deprecating her elegance from the time she was actually alive. Dear lord, what was she doing.

"Dammit, bitch, sit back down! We want to fight this asshole only, not you!" Lady White Heart shouted, saliva dripping from her mouth, her mighty hammer looking like it weighed the same as a piece of paper. Even with that threatening shout, Lady Turbo continued to move forward, her orange hair (Which still looked like it was bathed in a sickening pit of mud) flowing in the non-present air, her eyes looking as though they desperately wanted to shut for the last time once more. The Phantom still refused to budge, still watching the Goddesses as they wondered what on Gamindustri they were supposed to do. Was Lady Turbo going to be a threat? Oh dear, if that was the case, she, too, is a Goddess, so does she still possess the power to transform?

"Lady Orange Heart, correct? I command you to stop! This does not concern you…" Lady Purple Heart began to say, before a sudden pain began to felt within her chest. _What? What's going on? Why do I feel so nausous all of a sudden? _Lady Purple Heart began to ask herself, feeling as sick when she felt the pain from possibly breaking the fourth wall. Her sword was dropped to her waist, and her floating body crashed to the floor, her knees managing to break her fall before she completely collapsed against her own weight, the floating pieces of armor around her dropping onto her body. The other Goddesses noticed this, and they, too, collapsed in the same fashion.

"Goodness…I can't stand…" Nepgear grunted, her Godly body transforming back into her human form, with the entire room being shrouded in a clean shade of white. In less than a minute after they initially transformed, the Goddesses and Candidates of Gamindustri were back into their human forms, even weaker than before. Nisa watched in horror as The Phantom laughed his non-present lungs out. This was definitely not working now, is it?

"Ah, so we are still following the universe I'm trying to make. I guess you all need to level up in order to transform again. Good, I was concerned for a second there," The Phantom began, Lady Turbo taking her position right next to him, panting as her body was still trying to keep itself alive after its expiration date many decades ago. He turned to her again, his eyes and mouth glowing red once more (a feature? Phantom, you really have to explain yourself sometimes…), with him saying: "My lady, forgive me, but may you finish them off?" This sentence was said out loud, while the next couple of lines were whispered, so the Goddesses and Makers couldn't overhear it?"I don't want you to kill them, but to mearly push them back into the teleporters outside in the most painful way imaginable. Mercy will be granted to them for now; Still, if they do die, then I guess no harm will be done in the end. I do not know why I'm being so generous, but I want to fight them when they can actually fight. Then, once they come back powerful, you can kill them all off. Understood?"

The Phantom is showing mercy, even though he was planning on killing the Goddesses all this time? That's disturbing, but if he really wants this story to go on for another 40 chapters, then so be it. I have no say in this, readers, so if I were you right now, I would recommend not reading this story any further. It might get bad, filled with mary sues and Gary Stu's, and so many lame references and puns that would make the circus that is flying look saddened by the children it had produced. Please, do not continue; this is not my story anymore! Quick, take it off your favorite list, delete your reviews, call a moderator-

"Shut up, creator! Today is a new day. They shall live for today, but when we meet again, they will die off by Lady Turbo's hand. For now, they must prepare themselves for that moment!"

And so I shut myself up.

"We're…we're really going to die. Uni…" Nepgear struggled to reach the little tsundere, who was fading in-and-out of consciousness. Uni looked at her friend, trying her best to smile. Her arm was fully visible, with the sleeve pushed back due to the shock, revealing all the cuts that she had caused on herself. _I wish I could'v helped you, Uni. I can't stand to see you die like this. I…don't want anyone to die!_

"I'm…right here, Nepgear. Don't…cry on me," Uni said, extending her arm out, managing to grasp a hold onto Nepgear's frail hand. She was smiling, though she found it was too painful to continue doing so. Still, the two of them held one another tightly, hoping that the end won't be so bad. Dear God, I thought he already said he wasn't going to kill anyone! I know that they didn't hear that conversation, but does this scene really have to be this depressing? Next thing you know, we're going to see Ram and Rom cry their eyes out as they await death…

"No, I don't want to die!" Ram cried, holding onto Rom as tightly as she could. Rom couldn't even say anything, her throat choking itself (if that is possible to begin with) as tears poured out of her scarred face. Blanc couldn't believe it; she was defeated from electrocution, loss of shares, and overall being yelled at by the most insane person she has ever met in her life. Seeing her little sisters cry like this made her own eyes fog up. _Mina, forgive me. I guess I'm a terrible sister after all…_

Good God, Phantom, finish this scene already! We have enough depressing things happening in our life; we don't need this!

As though he read my words, The Phantom walked back towards the throne, completely silent as the soldiers in the room began to shake in fright. The same white light that the other Goddesses were eaten by, brightly illuminating the entire Basilicom, blinding many of the soldiers in the process, soon consumed Lady Turbo. When the light subsided, entering the darkened world once more, what stand where Lady Turbo once stood was the CPU of Land16, making the others look on in horror.

She was glowing a furious orange, looking as though she was being burned alive, most of her body not visible due to the engine not working with fire all that well. Her hair was now a bright orange, almost blonde, extending down towards her knees, with the ends being almost as sharp as knives; even though it was a different form, it still was caked in mud and dirt, making it look like a disgrace to the CPU race. Her body was no different, as the skin visible to the naked eye was rotting, peeling in some places to reveal some diseased muscle, with the skin itself being colored a sickening purple, much more than how Linda was colored. Unlike other Goddesses, who sported a much more revealing spandex leotard-style attire, Lady Orange Heart still wore her elegant dress, which was ripped about at certain points, with the beautiful design dotting it faded away due to time. In her hand was the biggest rapier anyone could have ever imagined. Even in her Goddess form, she was still a miserable sight. Well, enough of that purple prose; back to the scene!

"Forgive the destruction of the Basilicom, my fair lady, but it is for the best. We will rebuild it into a stronger foundation, anyways," The Phantom rationalized. After facing the throne for a couple of seconds, he turned to face the group one last time. "Goddesses, Candidates, and Makers! If you survive this blast, and are thus brought back to Corporatol City, then I suggest that you heal up as fast as humanly possible, and train as though there is no tomorrow! I shall give…let's see, it is about mid-June, correct? You have to the end of August to come back to this Basilicom, or else I will begin the invasion that will end the history of Gamindustri as you all know it! If you die in this blast, then I hope you all either enjoy hell or the Graveyard!"

He now looked at Lady Orange Heart, who had her back towards him. "Now, my Lady, fire!"

_Fuck, why is she listening to him? _Blanc thought her last thought, before the entirety of the Basilicom was filled with darkest sense of light imaginable.

On the side of the Makers, Nisa was the only making any rational thought within her mind. However, all she could think before she was engulfed in the light as well was, simply blunt: _Fuck…_

Lady Orange Heart made another sound that resembled a dying cat, and with her rapier aimed at the heavens, a mighty gust of wind began to form around her. The soldiers surrounding the perimeter of the room began to feel uneasy, as Lady Orange Heart was always described to hold the power to completely clean out a room in a jiffy, a cleaning that was definitely not enjoyable in any sense. They began to grow fearful, and even though The Phantom would probably scold them, the soldiers began to break their formation and ran for their lives to the doors. Some managed to get out of the Basilicom rather swiftly, but some were just about to reach the door when the strike occurred. Those that were too slow and stood too close to her were swiftly disintegrated, turning into ash, including the clothing on their backs and the metallic weapons they carried.

The attack was strange, as it appeared just in front of The Phantom, who was unharmed in the blast. It was a gigantic heat wave, produced from the abundant energy that was circulating thoughout the room. It formed into a solid object that drifted towards the door, its heat reaching up as high as 980 degrees Celcius (1800 degrees farenheit). To those that were slow, disintegration was their fate, while others were fiercely burned, to the point of being fatal. Those that made it to the door were still burned greatly, and even those that were already outside suffered some damage, mostly to their faces. Most of all, however, everyone was blown back, as though a huge tornado suddenly ripped through the entirety of the Basilicom. Many crashed through the doors, while others actually broke through the wall, crumbling part of the Basilicom, making it shake in its wake. Windows broke everywhere, walls lost their paneling, and even the floor began to lift off the landmass.

Our heroes saw the blinding light, and were anticipating the death of heat's untimely grasp. Strangely, while they indeed burned, they were simply thrown off towards the broken wall, not suffering a painful death like some of the unfortunate soldiers. It appeared that Lady Orange Heart had some control over her powers, as she followed whatever The Phantom told her, making sure that the Goddesses, Candidates, and Makers survived the blow. Each of the girls screamed as they tried to stay on the ground, but all of them were eventually blasted out of the room, all while accompanied by some strange woman chanting music in the background.

"Farewell, Goddesses! Maybe one day we will meet again, in which I, along with my lady, will end your very nations!" The Phantom shouted, laughing the loudest anyone could ever laugh. Pain and terror filled their hearts as The Phantom continued to laugh, Lady Orange Heart grimacing as she made another of those weird-ass noises, not particularly caring that her Basilicom was beginning to be burned to the ground. Before the girls could do anything, before they even had a chance to fight their way back towards the antagonist of this story, their whole world vanished into an endless abyss of white, an unknown fate to be following them.

5pb. Phase 1: In which we find that the idol might not be so dead after all

When 5pb. woke up, she felt as though she fell into a hole, and was unable to get out.

Her eyes opened falteringly, and her pupils were greeted to the endless shade of black, covering every cardinal direction possible. She was sitting against a wall, which, as she could feel, was covered in a thicket of dust and grime. Her hair was messy, to the point that each strand was thrown about haphazardly. She had trouble feeling her fingers, but whenever she felt them, they throbbed as though she pulled the nails clean off their homes. She rubbed her face, feeling dirt drift off with every pass of her hand, as well as feeling some wounds that formed themselves around her cheeks. She was clearly not in her stage-attire, as she couldn't feel her exposed belly; instead, she felt some sort of cotton fabric, one that covered her arms like a sweat-shirt; actually, that was exactly it.

Whatever she was wearing, it was definitely unflattering. She wore some form of sweatpants, and the sweatshirt was more like a standard sweater, making the top part of her body itch terribly. _Why would I ever wear this? I'm not even jogging! _5pb. thought in her head, before sudden questions flooded her mind. She ended up questioning her whereabouts, as she certainly did not remember ever entering a dark building like this, and falling aslepp on a wall at some point within the room. She felt massive pain throughout her body, and when her hand skimmed over her shirt-like sweater, she felt what might have once been a massive gash, though because of the lighting, she wasn't able to see if there was any blood residue left behind. Why was she wearing this, and why was she feeling pain in her stomach? _Was I robbed? Where's Iffy and Epica?_

She managed to stand, feeling some pain in her thighs, though it wasn't enough to warrant her to sit back down. "Ow, my head…" out loud, placing her hand on her scalp, feeling woozy as the eternal darkness took its toll on her. _I need to know where I am. Wait, I should have my phone, right? I just need to contact Iffy and find out…_

But when she felt the part of her pants where pockets normally resided, she found that there was no pocket to begin with; no pockets, no phone. "Oh no, what am I going to do?" 5pb. suddenly said, worry prevelant within her phone was gone, IF and Epica were currently MIA, and worst of all, she was in the complete dark, both in reality and within her mind, as she still debated what the hell lead her to this position. Was it another party, Lyrica? We all remember the grand party about two months ago, and I do believe it ended the same way. The only difference was that Lyrica was able to remember things easier than this.

"Okay, do not panic, Lyree. You're clearly in a room, so there has to be a way out," she cheered to herself, taking deep breaths as she looked about the dark room, which she began to notice, was surprisingly damp. _If the room's damp, then that means water gets in, right? _She thought to herself, as she extended her arms out, trying to feel for any solid object around her, though all that she felt was the heavy air around her. She swung her arms around, and tried to stomp her foot to make a noise (she also realized that she was wearing sneakers now; was she jogging before all of this?), though the only noise that was made was some metallic clink. _Okay, the floor is metal. That's…bizarre…_

Out of nowhere, as though the Polygonal Gods were trying to please her for once, a dim light randomly switched on, and a flicker of light appeared before her, a cloud of dust being illuminated around her. 5pb. was initially confused, but she felt some sort of relief, as she could at least see a couple of feet in front of her. On the other hand, she also felt disturbingly nervous, as someone, somewhere, decided to turn on a lamp for her; hell, the whole fact that the lamp looked like it was made one hundred years ago also set her off the edge. _Okay, should I thank somebody, or…_

When she saw the object on the floor, she suddenly realized how thirsty she had slowly become. Her throat was completely dry, and she felt as though her lips were cracking under the pressure of the words she had said before. On the ground, however, she saw a bucket, filled with some form of liquid, illuminated by the lamp directly as though it was intentional. She couldn't tell whether the water was actually water, or some other liquid that she should just haste away from really quickly. Still, given how dehydrated she was at this moment, she didn't care if the water was the produce of some human who had to go really bad to the point that couldn't get to the bathroom; she immediately ran to it, bent down, and brought her hand into the liquid, scooping up as much water as she could, before placing the small portion of it into her dry mouth.

She felt the wonderful life-saver drift down her throat, and at first she had to cough it up, before her body finally responded to it; while it felt rather crunchy, her tastebuds registered the liquid as water, so that was one worry she could leave out of the picture. She continued to drink some of the water, trying to sooth her throat as it burned with each gulp made, making her feel somewhat sick, though she attempted to ignore this as she guzzled down the contents of the lone bucket.

Once she felt satisfied, she took some additional water and splashed her own face, feeling as though other things were hitting her head as her skin grew softer once more. It felt relaxing now, and she felt as though she was actually relatively clean, like she had just stepped out of a shower, with IF following closely…

Wait, where did that come from? Carrying on…

She finally felt something strange, though. She opened her eyes after one final splash to the face, and out of nowhere, she felt it was necessary to look at the contents of the pale in front of her. She looked directly inside, and her eyes opened agape, her mouth jaw shaking in its hinges at the sight before her. Let us just say that her tastebuds were liars, bad ones too.

Inside this bucket was blood, a dark crimson red that looked like it was rather unhealthy, though that could just be the lighting effects. In the blood was a civilization of dead critters, some being the common fly, others being…other disturbing creatures that Lyrica has never seen before in her life. For the past couple of minutes, she was drinking this thicket of someone's (or _something's)_ blood, along with the dead things that decided that they wanted to fly about this marvelous canyon of red. Even her face, which was rather pale and fair, was now covered in the same red shade that inhabited the bucket. She was mortified, to say the least.

Without even a second thought, she kicked the bucket away from her, tipping it over and spilling the thick blood out onto the dusty, metallic floor. It transformed into a sea of black on the floor, with some of the bugs within the thicket actually twitching after being released from that tomb. 5pb. tried to hold it in, tried to hold in the consumed human waste within her stomach, but she was never the type of person that could be considered iron in this department. She quickly grabbed hold of a wall, aimed her head down, and vomited everything she once consumed, coughing in spurts as her mouth quickly burned from the sudden influx of acid that came from her stomach. This is was rather unpleasant for the common reader, but it was an important thing to write, right?

Probably because she felt like she was dead once more, the memories of Lan16 and The Phantom came back to her quicker than the vomit leaving her body. She remembered the terrified face of IF, who was desperately trying to save her from the clutches of the strange vine-like creature (that explained the wounds on her stomach, as she remembered getting stabbed by the strange creature a couple of times). She remembered losing IF's grip, and she was soon pulled into the darkness of the forest, her body smashing into every single tree that happened to inhabit the landmass. Before she was knocked out, she thought she saw Underling within the forest, asleep of course, but before she could register her prescence, she was seeing the color black all around, and next thing you know, she was in this strange room with a pale filled with blood.

"I'm alive? How is…I can't be alive…" Lyrica questioned to herself, thinking that being grabbed by a sharp vine and being dragged in way that her body would hit everything in its way would be enough to end anyone's life. She didn't know if she should feel grateful for being granted a second chance, but no matter what, she was definitely isolated from the rest of the group. "Did they make it to that village? Oh, I hope Iffy and everyone's okay," 5pb. said to herself, picturing a dark scene of IF bleeding as she walked towards the village, with everyone else dead around her. She eventually collapses out of desperation,and as the doors of the village close for a final time, the zombie-like monsters run up to her and…

_No, don't think like that! Iffy's a strong soul; those monsters are no match for her!_

As she recovered, she turned around to see a small child with her, no more older than 5 years old. It was a boy, and he wore shaggy clothing that barely fit his frail body, which was clearly malnourished and dehydrated. His eyes were begging, and they were producing tears. He was looking at the spilled bucket, his teeth (dirty and mostly all black) jittering, a cry waiting to be produced. "Food," he whispered, though because he had a thick accent of an unknown country, it came out sounding like "fould." Lyrica was absolutely perplexed, to say the least.

"Um, hello there. Wh-What's your name?" Lyrica asked, extending her shaking hand out for the boy, though she knew that he will be terrified from her blood-stained face. The boy shifted his gaze to her, and unlike what she had thought at first, the boy pouted with rage towards her, probably not realizing that blood from an unknown specimen plagued both her breath and her once-clear face. _Eh, I wish Iffy was here. She was always good with kids!_

Strangely, a strange song lyric played in her head for really no reason other than padding, at least in my opinion: _But first, are you accustomed?...have you ever been accustomed? Well, I have…_

The boy, out of the blue, completely lost interest in her, and instead focused on the vomit on the ground. Lyrica was confused, of course, but when she saw his target, she grew sick again. He began to run towards it, and while 5pb. extended her arm out in order to capture the kid, the boy broke through her easily, getting down upon his knees and…feasting on the remains of what lingered in Lyrica's stomach. "No, no, don't eat that! That's unhealthy, son! Stop it! Oh," Lyrica said, running over to the opposite end of the room, closing her eyes as she tried to forget the sight in front of her. She was sweating pretty badly now, even though she barely had any liquid within her.

As soon as she felt like she was going to throw up once more, more loud noises were heard, and to the side of the room where the the boy was eating whatever 5pb. had last, there were more lights being turned on. It turns out that the walls of the room were all glass (the back wall was actually concrete, while the floor was of course metallic), with other rooms similar to 5pb.'s extending out towards the horizon. On her side of the room, more rooms appeared, and in each one, there was at least two people present, with the same pale sitting in the middle of the room. Usually, one person was yelling their lungs out as the slammed against a wall, while the other was crouched in the corner, crying their eyes out._What in the world…_ 5pb thought as she looked on in horror.

"Let us out of here!"

"I don't want to die…I don't want to die!"

"Ah, death will finally claim us. This moment is so great, ain't it child?"

"grrrr….nerrr…nwalll…"

These were the strange noises she heard from the rooms around her, and it soon came to Lyrica's attention that these rooms were cages, and they were locked away for some reason. "Oh shit," she said out loud, looking out the side of the room where no other room was. Were they always there, and she just blocked their cries out, or were they just added to this place, and were just as confused as she was? From the looks of it, many of the buckets were knocked down, with the same black sea forming around the puddle. Each person wore the same style of wear Lyrica wore (the only exception was the little boy with her. If someone put them in these suits, was he too small to sport one? If that's the case, why was he here in the first place?), and they were all sick and tired, just like her.

Out of nowhere, a bright light entered the bigger room that held these cages, blinding 5pb. as she backed away, holding her arms up to cover her stained face. The light was completely void of any color, allowing the positive space of three silhouettes to stand out perfectly. When her eyes finally adjusted to the sudden shift in lighting, the three figures were much more prominent, and everybody in all of the cages, including the little boy that was feasting on her vomit, turned to face these mysterious individuals.

Two of the individuals looked like some sort of soldier, as they carried rifles in their hands, with a rather prominent helmet covering both of their heads; while they were simply shadows to everyone, it wasn't that hard to tell that they were rather bulky and tough. The third person, the one that stood in the middle of them, was the strangest one. He was probably 10 feet tall, wearing an oversized jacket, with a head that seemed to be either completely bald, or sporting an insignia on his forehead; either way, it was rather huge, with a glowing mark appearing on his neck, or where everyone speculated his neck was. The three of them were all threatening, of course, but this man was both tall and extremely muscular; he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with, in case he turns out to be a prominent bad guy in this story.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if we opened the cages you inhabit, you will walk towards us and onto this glowing, yellow line. You will not run nor act in any way that will cause us to open fire upon your frail bodies, and that is an order and a promise! Do we have an agreement?" one of the soldiers appeared to say. Even though she didn't really agree with this man, the rest of the prisoners nodded in compliance. One of the soldiers nodded, and with something strange being said by the big, middle man, one of the soldiers vanished.

In an instant, the glass doors of their cage opened up, and the outer room was now traversible. 5pb. was of course reluctant to step out of the cage, but the soldiers standing in front of her were clearly armed and dangerous, and she'd rather stay alive then be gunned down by two madmen, or whatever that middle guy was capable of. She saw the rest of the people, including surprisingly the little boy, walk out of their cages like the soldiers instructed, and thus she has done the same. She took a deep breath, unsure of what the future was going to look like; for all she knew, this will be her saddened grave, and she will never see her friends ever again. Will the world still end? She hadn't a clue.

She didn't see the yellow line at first, but when she took a couple of steps forward, the yellow line randomly became visible to the naked eye, and she stood on it as instructed. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was confused by all of this, as others were confused over the yellow line as well. Taking a good, long look, Lyrica noted that there were at least 25 individuals on this line, meaning one of the cages held only one person. Everyone was different, and the climate was rather diverse. There were girls her age, boys her age, middle-aged people, rather old people, children like the little boy, and of course, the crazy gents who were crouching as though they were on the hunt. Considering that they were completely insane, this was probably likely.

The middle man was also getting a good look. "So these are the new arrivals, huh? Great, more weaklings. We'll never get ratings unless we get the stronger folk. Damn, I really need to find better people for this," the man in the middle said, scratching his chin, though it was still hard to make out. The lighting was getting better, now that everyone had their eyes adjusted to the dark and light even more, and it seemed that the man was indeed bald and looking like a robot, one of his eyes sticking out and dangling on a loose wire. His mouth was always moving, irregardless of the fact that he wasn't talking most of the time. He was uncanny, in order to summarize this paragraph for your convenience.

Hearing the terms "stronger ratings" and "weaklings," a man suddenly spoke up. "What the hell is this? Where the fuck are we?" he shouted, raising his fist in the air as those around him looked petrified. Lyrica didn't know what would happen if this man spoke out, but she felt like it was a necessary questioned to be asked; so far, no questions have been answered, and Lyrica was growing more sick and confused by the second. The middle man laughed, and sounds of guns getting prepared rang through the air. The soldiers were pointing their rifles directly at the man, making him wince.

"For the sake of your life, I will recommend keeping your mouth shut! I'm just like The Phantom: you speak out of term, and your brains will be splattered about on the floor. Do I make myself clear?" the middle man said. The man still looked at him with rage in his eyes, but he lowered his fist and did as he was told, making his neighbors completely scared for their own lives.

_So he knows The Phantom. I guess Nisa would proclaim this guy to be a baddy, huh? _Lyrica thought in her head, looking at the man with a pout of her own. The middle man clapped his heavy hands together, making a sound like a grenade going off with every impact of his palms.

"Dearly beloved, my name is Fizier Pearson Shouding, but you may refer to me as FPS, if it is too much of a mouthful for you. I have served in many wars, and the buckets of blood within those cages were the meals my squad was given everyday. Now that you are in my possession, you better get used to the coppery taste, for that might be the only food you will be getting for the next couple of months. As stated before, I am one of the many generals under The Phantom's army, the leader of the army, to be exact! I am also the owner of the show 'Arena-o-Violence', the popular show on the east coast of Lan16! You may know our motto by heart: 'Who needs color and imagination, when you have dark hues and blood and teen boys who feel it is necessary to spout dangerous slurs that would make their own mommies cry?'"

_The east coast? I'm on the east coast? Oh man, I'm far from the others, i think…wait, I'm on a show? _Lyrica thought in horror, looking to see if anyone else had any reaction to this. From the looks of things, everyone was ready to faint, and those that weren't were giddy with joy, enjoying the title of the show, instead of fearing it. _Oh god, what is going to happen? Iffy, where are you?_

"All right, let's get this show on the road. Soldiers, make sure they follow me in that straight line. Any of them try to break the formation deliberately, fire away. Come now, folks! Follow me into this room!" FPS said, turning around slowly, his footsteps sounding like landmass-quakes with each and every press towards the ground. People were whimpering and crying, while others were swearing under their breath, but nonetheless, they all followed his advice, as Lyrica felt her feet move on their own, with the soldiers aiming at them without saying another word.

_Just do what they say, girl. When the time comes, get the hell out of there! _Lyrica shouted as she was lead out of the room along with the other 24 people.

In the next room, bright lights were cast against a dark sky, and buildings were clearly visible against the outer horizon. They were outside of a huge arena, and it looked as though they exited out of a huge warehouse, making everyone uncomfortable. Worst of all, however, was the sight of 75 other individuals waiting outside a huge metal door, one that will lead into the arena floor, which made Lyrica even more nervous. There was a balcony hanging above the door, where a ton of soldiers stood, all aiming down their sights towards the massive group of people, in case some decided to run for their lives. Lyrica saw more people her age and above, while others were even younger then the five year old; there was a mother in this place, and she was carrying an infant! What type of show was this?

While they all had the opportunity, no one ever said a single word, with the exception of those that were crying, but those were simply audible noises rather than coherent words being formed. _I don't like the looks of this. It's like the outside of my concerts, but less inviting and more terrifying!_

FPS was helped by a couple of soldiers (have I failed to mention the hundred's of soldiers that covered the area, including all possible areas that people could escape to?) up to the balcony, his massive size being a pain for his movements, though it gave him the edge of looking rather terrifying to the common man. Once he got up there, he looked out towards the group of 100, his mouth still moving even though he hasn't said anything in a while. Even though he couldn't, he looked as though he grinned towards the group, making them all flinch. With that, he turned to have his back face towards them, with camera's coming out of the walls to view him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Lan16, how are all of you tonight?"

After he said this, an obnoxious cheer and roar was produced from inside the stadium. "Holy…there's a ton of people watching. I'm really scared," some girl said out loud, making sure her voice was low enough so the soldiers wouldn't fire at her. Everyone else didn't say a word, but they suddenly all turned pale at the noise.

"This is the 20th season of 'Arena-o-Violence,' and as all of you die-hard fans know, when a season begins, 100 people are always randomly selected from all around Lan16. Yet, only 75 are allowed to continue on into later episodes, so you all know what that means!" FPS shouted into a mike they all couldn't see.

_Oh god, why do I have a feeling I know what he's going to say next?_

The arena exploded in a wave of hellish cheer. "Death Combat!" They all shouted in unison. That audible tune made everybody in this group feel a sudden feeling of dread, even the crazy ones. Lyrica began to shake even more. What the hell does "Death Combat" imply in this case?

"That's right! Tonight, 25 unlucky souls will have their lives ended in this arena of pain! To the contestants, there are millions of items around the arena floor that can be used to kill; some will end lives quickly and mercilessly, while others will kill much slower, and thus much more brutal. Also, don't expect to hide, for every tile on the ground is rigged to explode after 1 minute of continuous standing, and just so you know, there are proximity mines hidden about on the floor. Hell, we even stationed snipers to fire at will, meaning you can get killed by those that are supposed to protect you! Wouldn't that be a bother, eh? Once 25 are killed, the remaining 75 will be able to move on! Now, once the bell rings, the gates will open, and _all_ of you are required to enter the combat zone! If you are still out on the arena after 10 seconds, these soldiers will end your lives early as well! There is no escape, my friends; fight for the thought that you are entertaining your home! This is the greatest accomplishment anyone of us can ever endure. Now, ladies and gentlemen, begin the countdown!" FPS shouted.

Lyrica and the rest wanted to cry. They really had to kill one another? What the fuck, dude? I know that this fanfic is a dark one, but since when was it a kill-em-all story? Even with the innocent 5pb.? Dear god, I can't watch this scene, readers.

"There's children here, and he expects us to kill them? I…fuck this world," , realizing that this was the most she had ever swore in her entire life. Iffy and Epica would be disappointed, for sure.

"3...2…1…"

The anticipation was tremendous, and she felt everyone grow much more insane then they already were.

"Go!"

The gates opened, and everyone bolted. 5pb. was the last one in, and she can tell that this was going to end badly. Very, _very _badly.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 635, para 3:_

"…Even with the pain and misery that we can face, if my calculations are all correct, then the plan should work. One of the many chances of our universe not falling apart is to zap the living daylights out of the Goddesses of Gamindustri. This will render them unable to transform, and if they can, then they will be unable to hold the form for long. This is the only way for the world to not end, and simply put, my other world ending theory has not occurred yet. This, of course, is a major worry for any sane man. Hopefully, the calculations of C minus S divided by X to the ninth will be factual, or else our universe will be just like I described the nexus of Celestia earlier: another piece of dust in the wind…"


	19. PART 3: Recovering the Loss

Chapter 24: In which Compa demonstrates knowledge and our party begins to recover

"Nep-Nep! Listen to the sound of my voice!"

Neptune was awoken by the strange sensation of Compa slapping her face silly. It took some time for the dark to apparate, but eventually, she woke up the only way she could; she sat up quickly, screaming as though she has experienced the worst nightmare ever conceived. Whenever she awoke like that, she meant to simply scare Compa (because let's face it; it is way too funny), making it almost a part-time job. However, this scream was actually filled with pain and despair, though she tried her best to do her stunt in a jocular manner. Compa could tell that something was wrong with her long-time friend, and when Compa didn't even attempt to jump from fright, then something terrible has indeed occurred.

"C-Compa? Why are you in my room? Were we having a slumber party again? I remember last time…" Neptune said; with a wild haze covering her eyes, as fatigue still settle within her slumbering figure. Compa sighed, glad to see that Neptune still had the functionality to talk (and also because she really wants to forget about that moment), and placed her hand on Neptune's forehead. This caused Planeptune's CPU to flinch back. "Ow, watch it! I don't know what us kids did last night, but if I got a headache _and _amnesia, then it had to be the greatest slumber party ever!"

Compa couldn't believe it, but she was actually growing really angry right now. "No, Nep-Nep, there was no slumber party. We are on Lan16, remember? You went to fight that Phantom-meeny, right?" Compa asked, raising her voice to the style of talking to a little kid whenever she finished the questions. She was definitely scared for her relatively frail friend, as her shell of a body was most certainly injured. Her left eye was apparently swollen, which was the reason why her 3D-model now included an eye-patch on it. Sorry, animators, but it had to be done!

"Oh…oh, yeah. Man, I wish we had a slumber party, though. There would be chips, and pillow fights, and loads of glomping…"

"Nep, seriously, shut up about that!"

Neptune turned her head to view the body of IF looking at her, her wound surprisingly almost healed completely (a scar will forever remain there, though IF didn't seem to mind. Scars build character!). She was notably ticked off at this moment, but while she sounded angry with her words before, her face was painted with the faint sense of concern, as though something was really _that _wrong with Neptune. At this point, our CPU had no idea of these problems within her, but Compa and IF were watching her for a few hours, and they were able to see it all. Along with the swollen eye, she had some burn marks all about her body, dried blood lingering on under her arms and knee-caps, and a minute fracture of the pelvis which, while not able to fully paralyze her, was strong enough to cause her harm if she ever tried to move her body off of that bed in the hospital. Can you guess what she tried to do next?

"Hey, Iffy, didn't see you-ow!" Neptune shouted, feeling a worse shock then when she was…well, being shocked like a wild animal caught in an electrified fence. Compa quickly ran to her side and forced her back onto the hospital bed, trying to be gentle, for any wrong move could easily fracture the rest of the feeble body of Neptune. "Compa, did you do something to me? My, um, I think my pelvis hurts too much!"

"No, Nep-Nep, I don't know why your pelvis is injured! It's not going to be terrible, but I don't want you moving until I perform my Medical-Compa-Experience!" Compa shouted, creating a couple of questions marks above Neptune's very-own head. Before our favorite nurse-turned-doctor could elaborate on another, damn game-play mechanic, IF intersected the conversation, hoping to find out some information from her injured friend; it wasn't every day that Neptune came back hurt.

"Compa, if Neptune and the others came back injured and hopeless, I'm assuming their battle with The Phantom didn't go so well. Right, Neptune?" IF asked, folding her arms, her jacket still not on her figure (it was too damn hot for jackets, even for IF). Neptune groaned, placing her hands over her eyes.

"Oh man, you two should feel lucky! He was mean, he electrocuted us, punched some of us, and even had this other Goddess throw us out of the Basilicom ! I mean, he hurt both Ram and Rom, and, oh~, he hurt Nep Jr.! When we meet again, I won't be joking around, anymore! I'll seriously kick his ass so hard, he'll fucking bleed!"

Compa and IF had their jaws to the floor; this was definitely getting some controversy from the other plane of existence. Neptune had steam coming out of her ears, with both of her cheeks puffed out of proportion. Neptune usually got angry for certain reasons, such as a cookie missing from the jar that she really, _really _wanted, or if someone broke too many promises for too long, but only certain things actually ticked her off to no end. This, of course, was if children and her little sister were hurt for no good reason, which never actually happened in her book. Seeing the sights of Nepgear and the two White Sisters getting shocked really grinded her own gears, and thus, she was ready to kill something, just to get this pent-up anger out of her system. Compa had to do something quick before this scenario got out of hand, so she decided to introduce to her friend the survival-screen of the game.

Neptune managed to calm down by a wide-margin. "The Medical-Compa-wha?" Neptune asked, with the prettiest and slightly off-putting dot eyes you could ever imagine. Compa nodded, happy that she can finally introduce her beta program to her friends, in the hopes that she can change the field of doctoring in Gamindustri forever. IF, however, felt it was just a stupid gimmick, as her experience with the new mechanic was less-than-stellar, to say the least.

"Yes, the Medical-Compa-Experience! Just press the start button, select 'MCS,' and heal your wounds with all the items you collected overtime! Since we're in the doctor's office, we have everything you will ever need," Compa stated, making IF give the face-palm. She remembered distinctly a game from a Lastation console (or was it the HD-version that came available on a Leanbox console, as well?) that involved a similar mechanic. What game was that? It was about a snake, and it was randomly going to get eaten, because the subtitle was…

"Oh, okay, I got it! Medic, did you feel any pain after saying all that?" Neptune asked, applying a bandage over one of her elbows. Compa grew some dot eyes of her own.

"Huh? I don't think so. I feel…okay, now I do feel hurt!" Compa said, placing her hands on her head as she felt a terrible throbbing-strike piercing through brain. Her legs felt rather wobbly, and her body went completely numb with pain and misery. IF even had to hold her friend down, trying to make their only doctor stay afloat, as the situation right now was certainly not the best of situations. She managed to keep herself together, though; even though Compa was a grade-A moe, she still had some impressive knowledge in regards to survival, balancing her breath to calm the headache down, and closing her eyes as she thought of herself standing as still and straight as a statue. Can this work in real life? Probably not, but this is Gamindustri, not real life.

"All right, Compa, I think I'm okay now. That's one interesting gimmick you have there. Anyways, how's everyone else?" Neptune asked, standing now without a problem; gaming healing logic always perplexes me, but if it followed real-life standards, this game would be impossible!

"Oh everyone's-"

"Wait, Neptune, did you just say there was another Goddess out there? How the hell did that happen?' IF asked, puzzled by both that fact and the fact that Neptune was filled to the brim with bandages and splints on almost all appendages, something that was definitely out of the ordinary. Neptune gave her friend a cheerful smile, showing that a tooth was now missing from the front; Compa was ready to go bezerk for missing that one.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Phantom-doofus took our shares from us by electrocuting us, and did you know that he called shares some stupid air molecules? He should know that shares are, like, the most powerful whatever-they-are-called substances in the world…"

"Nep, get to the point all ready!" IF yelled, folding her arms, producing a glare of disturbance that was directed to the purple-hair ditz. Neptune flinched, and returned to the subject that was considered, by all means, "main."

"Okay, okay! Yeah, he took our shares, and somehow, that revived this really old-and-dead Goddess from her freaking casket! I'll admit that it was super-awesome to watch in HD, but her body was completely decomposed, and I swear, she was a zombie. We would have attacked her, but he electrocuted us like a madman, which is totally what he was, by the way! She blasted us all the way out of the Basilicom, disintegrated pretty much every NPC in the room besides The Phantom himself, and next thing I can recall is awakening to the rather pretty face of Compa," Neptune explained everything that she could have recalled, making Compa blush in the process. IF looked down to the dirty floor and sighed to herself.

"I…I see. That's freaky, actually. Was she that powerful?" IF asked, a question mark colored green appearing over her head, breaking the real-is-brown vibe that was being created today. Neptune nodded, making a rather terrible impersonation of an explosion noise, extending her arms out in order to demonstrate how massive this strange wave of energy she had experienced was. After seeing how Neptune will not make a good impressionist, IF shook her head. "I guess we have to tell Mattel that. Damn, this doesn't look good, does it, Compa?"

"No, not at all! How could he revive someone? I can't do it, and I don't even think Gust could do it, and Alchemy's the closest you can get to doing that!" The moe doctor said, her face filled with emotion that was only possible through the use of an advance rendering engine. Neptune frowned, scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah, completely agree with you there, Compy. Hell, The Phantom even said that alchemy is stupid, and just for children. I don't think he said it completely like that, but you know. Man, Gust has to be angry right now after hearing that! She's okay, right?" Neptune asked, her own question mark appearing above her head. Compa produced another smile to fill the air with joy, though even she could not feel like that.

"Yup, I think everyone's doing okay! If you can walk, I'll bring you to the other rooms. Sorry you had to be isolated, but we found you last out there, so all the beds were already taken up! You landed pretty badly out there!" Compa said, as she helped Neptune towards the other side of the room, exiting through an olden-style door.

Compa was indeed right. The room was packed with the rest of the party member's of Neptune's group. This mini-hospital was experiencing the biggest surge of patients ever since it opened back in 1928. The downstairs was filled with the rest of the patients that belonged to Lan16; for the sake of your logic, I shall not elaborate upon their existence until later on, so do not worry about them for now. Anywho, the party was still reeling in intense pain, but like Neptune, they were already briefed on Compa's latest gimmick, fixing themselves with whatever was needed to fix their rather unique injuries. Falcom sadly got the worst damage, as she had to re-twist her hand back together, and in order to keep viewers viewing this wondrous tale, I shall refrain from morbid descriptions of that event. You can thank me later.

"Oh Neptune! I'm so glad your okay!" Nepgear said as she ran up to her older sister, hugging her cautiously, in case Neptune had some terrible injury with her stomach-region. Neptune definitely returned this beautiful sense of kindness, though she still looked rather guilty as she looked upon her little sister. She had a heavy bandage on her left cheek, and a small one upon her shoulder, which was dyed red from some bleeding. Her left eye was swollen, and a splint was placed upon her middle finger (right hand), in order to keep it still. It made Neptune want to cry.

"N-Nep Jr… I am so sorry that this happened! I'm supposed to be protecting you. Oh, Histy will be so scared when she finds out about this!" Neptune cried, now clutching her sister's shoulders as she fell upon her knees. The party all looked at the two of them, confused and slightly demoralized at seeing the two Planeptune Goddesses share a rather depressing sisterly bond. Nepgear almost broke out crying as well, seeing the amount of damage Neptune was facing, but in order to be strong for her grieving sister, she held back her tears.

"Sis…"

Noire walked up behind the CPU of Planeptune and patted her shoulder gently, sighing in vexation. "Come on, Neptune, shouldn't this scene be reversed?" Noire asked, though her face was filled with relief, possibly because of the fact that Neptune was okay and safe. Hey! It's not like she stressed out over it or anything!

Uni, who was sitting on her bed, cradling her elbow (out of everyone, she didn't suffer that much injuries, but she had the worst burns compared to the rest of the party. Her elbow had the only major cut, which was itching like mad.), smirked to herself. _Yeah, just keep talking Noire. Yeah, I'm okay. Nope, no one has to worry…_

While her mind said that, Neptune and Nepgear broke their embrace, with Neptune talking to Noire and Nepgear walking towards our friendly, neighborhood Uni. She had to hide her blush, feeling a sickening feeling of irony emanating from this particular scene. "Uni, are you okay? Goodness, that's a lot of ointment!" Nepgear said, covering her mouth at the extent of the burns. Uni couldn't hide her blush anymore, instead choosing to clutch her body as she pivoted away from Nepgear.

"Don't shout that to the whole world! It sounds really embarrassing out loud!" Uni shouted, refusing to make eye contact with the other Candidate. Nepgear did feel slightly put-down from that comment, but being that this was Uni she was talking to, she simply smiled and nodded. She was glad that Uni had her personality after all of this, though she still felt concerned by the marks littering Uni's arms, which were burned completely, to the point that they were virtually indistinguishable from wounds or deep burns. For now, Noire could mistaken them for burns, but what happens when Uni fully heals? Neptune still smiled, but she had that dark feeling behind her eyes.

"Uni, may I ask you something?" Nepgear asked, lightly brushing Uni's shoulder with her hand. Uni flinched, surprised to feel how warm and comforting Nepgear's palm was, though she still tried to act as though it caused her some pain.

"Yeah, sure. Just make it quick, okay? I don't like you seeing me like this," Uni said, simply without raising a single decibel within her tone. Nepgear continued to let her palm rest on Uni's shoulder, who simply submitted to her grasp and remained motionless.

"You didn't sit next to me at breakfast I think yesterday. Was it because of what happened in the hallway?" Nepgear asked, massaging her friend's shoulder now. Uni blushed even harder, but she didn't attempt to fight back for any reason. She now puffed her cheek out, folding her arms tightly around her chest, almost to the point of suffocating herself.

"Nepgear, just promise me something, okay?"

"Anything, Uni."

"Don't…don't tell anyone about this, okay? I don't want to them to worry or anything, especially right now, okay? No, this has nothing to do with you, so please do not start hurting yourself over it," Uni replied, finally making eye-contact with her friend. Nepgear stared back at her friend, deeply engrossing herself in Uni's surprisingly beautiful, red-eye stare. Both of them blushed at both of their seriousness, especially over the fact that their faces were extremely close.

"I understand, but I want to help you, Uni. Can I at least do that?" Nepgear asked, hugging her friend now, though Uni pushed her back, noting the damned pain that suddenly erupted on her breast-area. With a quick apology courtesy of Nepgear, Uni simply nodded.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean hang out with me every second! I don't even know if that's even possible out here," Uni said, going back into her tsundere-esque mode of communication as she, once again, turned her head to face the other way. Nepgear sighed to herself, looking back at Uni's exposed arm. Even though most of the wounds were seared, she could still see some faint hints of blood on the very edges of each wound. She remembered hearing from Compa that sometimes a light kiss on the injured part of someone could ease any pain that was being felt, and while Uni was good at hiding it, Nepgear could tell that the burn marks were definitely not subsiding with their pain. Finding an exposed part of Uni's skin that had no ointment on it, Nepgear gently followed Compa's explanation of the procedure and placed her lips on that portion of skin. Now readers, doing something like this could be beneficial, but it can also be slightly costly, with bacteria entering the mouth and so many pathogens finding their way into your body if the wound was beginning to grow infected…

…Or just ignore the possibilities and fuel the fire for a shipping pair. Yeah, that is fine. Just…just continue, okay?

"Hey, what are you doing?" Uni shouted, feeling the sweet tenderness of Nepgear's lips on her wrist. She quickly yanked her arm away, glaring at the other Candidate, who was almost knocked to the floor from the sudden movement. This in turn caused the majority of the group to now look at them, confused over the whole clamor going on. Uni blushed rather terrifyingly, quickly looking away in embarrassment. "S-Stop looking! There's nothing to see here!" Uni shouted, hoping to get rid of the spotlight. Noire simply rose an eyebrow at Uni and the now-crouching Nepgear, before she went back scolding the other Purple-hair girl, simply because Neptune tried to, ahem, "cup a feel" while glomping Miss Noire. This cast is just filled with weird, don't you think?

Nisa, unlike the others, was already trying to be as active as possible, performing push-ups as she had a rather heavy rock on her back. This was rather stupid of her, for her back was the most injured out of the rest of her body, and her shouders were relatively scarred from the heavy burns she had inflicted upon her. Still, she continued to do push-ups, trying to level-up in order to take on The Phantom again, ignoring the burning sensation she received with each push-up. On her ear was her police transceiver, with Whelps on the other line, feeling rather disturbed as Nisa continued to exert herself, regardless of her injuries.

"Nis, I don't think you should be doing that. You have to let the meds kick in first. You might hurt your body more if you keep doing this," Whelps said, being briefed before on the whole situation with The Phantom. Needless to say, Whelps was completely shocked at the extent of it, but he was still not that surprised.

"Partner, I understand your concerns, but I have to bulk up before our next confrontation. If Nisa falls, she gets back up and continues on! He'll never know what hit him when he meets me again!" Nisa said, huffing and puffing as her body begged for her to stop this tyranny of the muscles. Whelps side, quickly turning his car in order to avoid a jay-walker. Yeah, readers, he was in a car. I'm not technically writing this anymore, so I can leave out details any time I want!

"Well, if that's what you want to do, then I won't stop you. Just take it easy out there, Nis. You have essentially two months to train, so don't overstress your body," Whelps replied, taking the transceiver out of his ear in order to swear at another driver who cut him off. Hey, he did the classic Whelps-face again! Did you miss that, readers?

"I'll be fine, Whelps. I'm sorry that I won't be home for the rest of the summer, but I'll still help you on that case, if need be. How's it going, anyways?" Nisa asked, finally collapsing onto the floor as her body screamed in relief.

"I understand that, Nis. So far, we narrowed the suspects down to two individuals. One goes by the name of Jobs, and the other by the name of Gates. Both have a criminal record of stealing from various companies in order to benefit their own, and both have proven to be heavily criticized for their ideas of vertical consolidation. They are robber barons, if you will. I don't know how running these businesses will lead them to murder, but I have seen some surprises happen before, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Whelps answered, stopping his car at the Police Station as he took out his notebook. Nisa on the other line scratched her chin.

"I see, so perhaps The Phantom has nothing to do with this. Still Whelps, we've encountered zombie-like folk on this landmass, and they all looked like that… 'zombie' we've encountered back on Lastation. Perhaps Gates and Jobs know about The Phantom?" Nisa though out loud, feeling petrified once more of seeing that zombie from Lastation playing in her head. Weren't there zombies in Lowee and Leanbox as well? Is there a conspiracy going on behind all of their backs?

"That is suspicious, Nis. Why didn't you bring that up before? Hm, I don't know if they would know the man, but it is still a key find. I guess I'll have to interrogate both of them on it. Anything else I should know, Nis?" Whelps said with a faint detection of vexation within his voice. This in tune got Nisa annoyed at her partner, certainly not the only time this has ever happened, but she held back her anger with the simple technique of double-think. Wrong story and context? Sorry.

"The Phantom has sent spies out to Gamindustri over the years. That is how he knows we fought ASIC and emerged victorious! Perhaps Jobs and Gates are spies of his?" Nisa speculated, sitting up as she began to stretch her arms and legs. Whelps scratched his own chin, his face seriously not helping my uncanny-valley phobia.

"Possibly; you might be on to something there, Nis. Still, we shouldn't jump to conclusions. I'll look further into their criminal record and see if I can find anything detailing their past. Thanks for the heads-up Nis. I think I have to get going, so good luck out there," Whelps said, about to close off his transceiver, before he heard a hasty "wait!" on the other line.

"Whelps, before you go, can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to contact the band manager Epica. Remember, 5pb. and IF's manager? I don't think IF alerted her about the death of 5pb. yet," Nisa said, instantly regretting saying that bluntly, as she still never told Whelps about the whole death. When he heard that news, his jaw literally hit the floor.

"I-I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll tell her right away, but shouldn't IF tell her? It seems to be the right thing to do," Whelps asked, feeling a tinge of sadness as another song played by 5pb. came onto the radio, entitled "Stairway to Celestia." Fate and timing are both cruel when used together, aren't they?

Nisa nodded to herself, agreeing with Whelps that IF should make mention of it first, but there was of course the major problem blocking this heinous notification. "I know that would be right, Whelps, but I think IF is scared to call her. When she helped me get patched up, I brought it up to her, but she refused to answer me. She might be afraid of how Epica will react, honestly," Nisa replied, feeling sick now as her weak muscles began to catch up to her nerves. Perhaps this whole push-up thing with a rock upon her back was really a bad idea after all (nah, you don't say…)

Whelps was silent for a little bit, contemplating the situation at hand. He eventually began to speak again, though a tinge of doubt was left within his voice. "All right, I'll notify her, but I highly doubt it's going to be easy. Take care out there, Nis," Whelps said as soon as he saw the watch commander appear out of the headquarters. Nisa smiled, glad she got the approval of Whelps to perform this job of hers. She never really hung out with IF, but being the heroine of the group, she had to make sure she helped out those that were in despair, both physically and mentally.

"Thank you partner, and good luck out there with the case!" Nisa finished her conversation off. They both said sayonara to one another, and with that, the transceiver was turned off, making Nisa tune in on the environment around her. Everyone was making a nice recovery, which was good given the time constraint they now had on their backs. She could easily try to get back to Gamindustri to radio in some help, but she was afraid that with The Phantom fully aware of their precense on this landmass, that might not be an option. Still, The Phantom has proven himself to be a rather perfect opponent for her, to the point that they may require more reinforcements to combat him, as well as that disturbing, zombie-like Goddess he happened to revive right on the spot. She would retreat, but what if he causes that invasion of Gamindustri as a result? That wouldn't be good, now would it?

She looked over at Gust, who was sitting on a bed with both Ram and Rom, who were both equally mad at what they just experienced and witnessed (Ram was fuming, while Rom was just quiet and dangling her legs off the bed out of sheer boredom). Gust only had burn marks on her stomach and neck, suffering no major injury on her behalf, which was good, though she was still essentially a child like Ram and Rom, which means any injury was just plain terrible. Gust looked over at Nisa, rendering them both silent as they stared one another down. Nisa really wanted to say something to Gust, but her courage was rather faulty at this moment, so she ended up keeping her mouth shut. Fearing the sense that the little alchemist was going to do something rash to her, Nisa turned away, trying not to look at her friend that was betrayed so many days ago. _She's probably even more angry with me now! I could have stopped him from kicking her, but I was too weak. I'm sorry Gust…_

With that, she punched herself in the face a couple of times, calling herself an idiot multiple times with each strike. This was definitely not helping her injuries one bit, but Nisa couldn't think rationally when doing this, and as such she managed to actually fracture one of her teeth with a mighty blow to the cheek. This sudden tooth-related pain caused her to break out of this tantrum, and she gave herself several maledictions within her head, feeling so weak for not managing to save even a child from such pain.

As our Heroine of Justice experiences some heavy internal conflict, Mattel finally walked into the room, smoking a pipe as he observed the fallen heroes with his one eye (he earned some reprimanding from Compa over the terrible effects of smoking, though Mattel just shrugged her off). "Ah, I see all of you have come back in one piece. That is certainly unusual from The Phantom," he said, folding his hands behind his back as he peered strangely at Blanc, who still refused to follow Compa's orders to patch herself up. IF suddenly grew angry.

"Did you know that was going to happen? What, you expected us to die? You know what, I think you're an asshole!" IF yelled, fuming as her face turned tomato-red with rage. Compa managed to restrain her friend, holding IF's shoulders down, hoping IF wouldn't attempt to break through her hold. Mattel looked at her and, with a really disturbing sense of why, broke out laughing.

"Honestly, I was. I'm sorry to offend you lot, but whenever someone fights him, no one ever returns. I must say, you are all terribly lucky to be alive. I was hoping that you would all be the exception to the rule, and finally end his tyrannic empire, but seeing as how you's all injured, I'm assuming I was wrong. I'm also assuming the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it was just an aspersion?" Mattel asked, stroking his white, thin beard. Neptune, who had finally regained herself back to her original personality, decided to answer this question.

"Well, yes and no. He kept going all psycho on us by saying there's an author that created us, and will kill us once this 'story' ends, and how there are other planes of existence other then our own, and blabbity, blabbity, blah," Neptune answered, feeling her mind hurt over thinking about how strange The Phantom's words truly were. Hey, if he could write a massive book detailing all his theories on life and afterlife, then I guess he has this ability to talk strange, eh?

"Ah yes, the classic Phantom-spiel. He always spoke like that, ever since I met him oh, so long ago. I swear, it is just the words of a madman trying to escape his shell, so don't take his words all that seriously," Mattel replied, waving his hand in the air as to indicate to Neptune not to worry about it. However, Mattel's words soon awoken a distant reminder within Neptune's head, and she suddenly realized that she wanted to ask Mattel a question that's been bugging her since she asked The Phantom a certain question.

"Hey Mattel, speaking of which, how long have you known The Phantom? He claims he knows you from the 50's, but you know how evil people are with lying, "Neptune asked a genuine question, wondering exactly how old Mattel truly was. Mattel once more laughed out loud, though in an instant his emotional face filled with joy and sarcasm quickly switched into one with a more somber tune.

"Yes, he is right when he said that. I have known The Phantom since I was a wee-little lad back in the 50's. I was 5 years old, and I was diagnosed with the deadly disease of Leukemia. My parents tried to help me, but even the top doctors of Lan16 couldn't save my dying soul. By this point, I have heard that The Phantom was once a miracle man in the field of medicine, before becoming the tyrant you know these days, so my parents brought me to the Basilicom. The Phantom was indeed reluctant to help me, as his mind was slighty forgetting his original ideas involving medicine, but with the persuasion from my parents, he eventually complied. I still do not know how he did it, but I was cured within a week, and I was able to grow up to be this old! Ever since that day, I have kept in contact with him, though as the years went on, he grew farther into the realm of insanity, to the point that both of us are now common enemies. Oh, how I wish he wouldn't be like this; he was pretty kind back in the day, let me tell you!" Mattel finished his long expository paragraph.

Compa was surprised by this. "So he really was a man who knew medicine! Oh, why do the smart ones have to be evil?" Compa protested, pouting at realizing that she may be the only doctor in the world on the good side. Even the top doctors back in Gamindustri were sometimes shady when it came to work being down behind closed doors. Mattel was now growing serious.

"Don't get me wrong; The Phantom acts evil now, but many years ago he was just a tyrant who thought he was doing good for the landmass. After our Goddess died, he had to take the throne quickly, after isolating Lan16 from the rest of Gamindustri. He tried his best to stay sane wih this insane amount of work, but oddly enough, I don't think he got crazy from the workload. No, I think it was something else," Mattel explained, rubbing a finger around his eye-patch.

"What do you think it was? I mean, he's completely insane!" Noire asked and yelled at the same time.

"I have heard rumors that he left our universe and walked across a billion more. I believe what you said about the different planes of existence was spot on, as he always was like that, comparing our world with dust in the wind, as all the other universes he claimed to have saw were just as minute as ours, or so I have heard. If he managed to climb into other universes like the rumors say, then I believe he went insane because, well, he _saw _too much. He saw other worlds that were probably more advanced and better then our own, and others that rendered his inventions obsolete. He is said to have seen Celestia, but I cannot confirm that either, yet if he did, then I can understand his crazyness fully. That would probably explain why he always thinks we are being written into existence by a thing referred to as 'author,' as well as having the ability to remove us at any moment," Mattel speculated, rubbing his chin extensively.

Blanc nodded her head. "So that explains his assholish words. Still think he's a douchebag, though," Blanc said, making sure her own eye-patch stayed on correctly. Mattel rose his arms into the air, not really sure how else he could explain things, turning now to face the door, lost deep in thought. The rest of the party had no idea how to take in what Mattel said, only now just registering it in their respective ways. The Phantom had a reason to his madness that wasn't solely based on genetics, but it still didn't change the fact that he mercilessly damaged the entire party without so much as a second thought. Finally, another thing came up from Neptune, something that was rather important of her to mention by now.

"Mattel, he also revived this old Goddess from her freaking grave! It was so cool, and yet super spooky _and _deadly at the same time! I think her name was Turbo, or something like that?" Neptune questioned, placing her index finger on her chin. Mattel's face literally froze up, the pipe in his mouth falling straight to the ground, his jaw on the brink of falling apart. _Did I say something wrong? _Neptune asked herself.

"H-He revived Lady Turbo?" Mattel asked, his eyes suddenly shaking out of complete fright, his massive fists quivering as his whole body began to shake frequently. The others were scared to reply, but they all nodded in confirmation. Mattel's eye began to twitch, before he lowered his head. "So he really has done it. I thought it was impossible, but he did it. I…I can't believe it."

"He said it took him awhile. Gust was really frightened on how he did it," Gust randomly blurted out, in order to get her quota in for the chapter. Cave nodded as well.

"Yes, Lady Turbo has returned to the land of the living. The Phantom was going to kill us, but he spared our lives, and is now saying that we have to the end of august to get back to him, or else Gamindustri will be destroyed, or something like that. He apparently de-leveled the Goddesses, so I'm assuming the same thing could be said about us Makers," Cave said monotonously. Mattel now shook his head, placing a hand onto his thin hair, not believing a single word he was hearing. No, this could not have happened; it couldn't happen! It was flat out impossible!

Still, keeping his cool, Mattel looked up once more, surprisingly giving a smile. "The Phantom has sent us plenty of messages in regards to an invasion of Gamindustri. The rumors go that he will begin the assault on the anniversary of Lady Turbo's death, which he stated will be the date he will also bring her back to life. You can understand why no one took it seriously, but if she is back, then this plan might become reality.

"If he spared your lives and gave you that warning, then I guess he is genuine now. You might have to the end of august, or you might have less than ten seconds to go after him. Either way, I guess you will need to train if you want to go against both of them in the future. I hope Lan16 will prove beneficial in your endeavors," Mattel stated, looking at the party with serious eyes. The whole group began to feel a sense of dread, suddenly feeling as though the whole game was a time-based mission, and when there are time-based missions, there are plenty of variables to be worried about.

However, Nisa was strangely hopeful, compared to her previous outing of hitting herself rather harshly. "Okay, this sounds pretty easy, actually! We'll just jack up out in the forest, help out the locals, and once we're ready, we'll just step out on the teleporter and beat his ever-loving-"

"Actually, the reason why I came in here in the first place was to inform you that the teleporters have been destroyed. The only way to get to the Basilicom now is to traverse through the HuCard Mountains, and without a lie within my words, that is a road you never want to travel through."

"Wha? But, how were they destroyed?" Nisa asked, shocked and appalled when she found out. Mattel once more shook his head, his gigantic chest heaving forward from his sudden breathing.

"Not sure, child, but so far, it seems when you lot came back, some Phantom guards showed and made them explode. That is nothing but the truth! Doc here seen it all," Mattel replied, pointing to Compa, who nodded sadly. Nisa moaned and turned away, slamming a bed nearby. Noire wasn't actually all that concerned by this sudden news, taking it in stride as compared to the others who acted like Nisa.

"Well, then let's just send the army from Gamindustri and tackle this bastard! That will solve everything, right? He could beat us, but when there's 20,000 troops marching towards him, he'll have no idea what hit him!" Noire plotted, feeling awfully prideful with this plan. It was perfect; she had to contact Kei, get the army from all across Gamindustri, and invade the fallen Lan16. What could possibly go wrong?

"I wouldn't recommend that, either. The Phantom is vigilant with that. To tell you the truth, he has millions upon millions of machines and inventions at his disposal, which might include a tapper that could listen to anything you say from them transceivers. He finds out you'se fleeing, he'll probably begin his invansion right away, and all hell will break loose. You can try it if you want, but I wouldn't suggest it whatseover," Mattel explained once more. Now Noire rolled her eyes and sat down hard on a bed, feeling pain spread up her legs as burn marks plagued her with the sudden motion.

"Look, children, there's nothing you can do besides rest and try and train for your next fight. He's powerful, to the point of being one of the strongest men in the world, but you have to realize that he has one, major weakness, and that is that he's insane. Breaking him any farther could possibly do him in, just like that," Mattel tried to bring in some optimism in this hospital room, snapping his fingers in order to emphasize the basis of how he'll simply vanish. IF folded her arms, thinking about how Lyree was probably out in the wilderness all by herself, huddled behind a tree with blood gushing out of every pour of her body. She shook off the thought, instead replacing it with her next concern.

"We'll, if we gotta, we gotta. I guess we'll just go on slicing down some stupid monsters until we're fully ready. Is that it? I mean, we can't do anything else besides rest and fight?" IF asked, taking a seat on one of the beds that homed Vert on it. Mattel looked at her, then at everyone else, before finally releasing a pent-up laugh from the bottom of his heart.

"Ah, there is more to it then just training, dear IF. Since you aren't leaving, but seem to have the guile to survive a Phantom encounter, perhaps the sign has finally come into fruition. He's is my friend, of course, but that doesn't mean I think he deserves the ability to live! From now on, you are all honorary members of the anti-Phantom coalition!" Mattel shouted out of the blue, making a sudden plot point a reality in the context of fiction. The rest of the girls stared at him.

"Anti-Phantom Coalition? Since when was there such a thing?" Vert asked, baffled by such a group even existing on an ancient land quite like this. However, deep inside her, well, voluptuous body, she couldn't help but feel pleasantly excited over the fact that this whole plot was turning into her favorite MMORPG; this was extremely dangerous and time-consuming, but dammit, she always wanted to live it. She only wished that the others weren't forced to go through with it as well.

"That's right, missy, there is such a thing as that group, for I am a leader of it! We have thousands among our ranks, and our top priority is to take on The Phantom and his top generals, and throw them down upon the ground where they belong! Doc has already showed me her gimmick, which has already proven itself to be completely worth it in the long run; you are all injured, but with the system, your wounds will be healed quicker then even the top medicine's we have at our disposal. I can tell that you are all amble fighters, and I think that your particular arrival here on Lan16 was more then a demand from The Phantom; no, I think it was solely a sign for us to begin the war against the man himself," Mattel said with a smirk planted upon his face.

_Geez, is this guy Mr. Exposition or what? Was The Phantom right in that this…story was supposed to end already? That makes sense now. I need to write that when I get back home, _Blanc thought to herself, trying to stifle her chuckles as the scene continued.

"Woah, hey! I understand we have to train here, but why in the heck are we a part of a group we've never heard of until now? What does this group even do?" Falcom asked, nursing her broken arm (which was wrapped within a sling) as she entered the scene. However, by the time she managed to ask that question, Mattel was already at the door, much to the group's chagrin. Seriously, rudeness is an issue here!

"That, dear children, I'll tell you in a couple of hours. I want you all to rest up first. Let the medicine fully cure your wounds, and then we'll talk. I want you lot to be in top condition before I reveal a single bit of information," Mattel answered, leaving the hospital room for the final time, or at least for this chapter. Once the door closed, the girls all looked at one another, baffled, angry, and slightly melancholic over what the flying hell they were just told and apparently joined in the past five minutes.

"Well, that was stupid," Noire said, flinging her arms into the air out of frustration. Neptune, the one person in this entire group who would have the chance of actually being excited over all of the events going on right now, was even downtrodden, being rather angry over being forced to join a group without seeing an elaborate contract. Yes, you read that right. That is the only reason why one of our top characters in this franchise was mad; not because of having to fight and go after The Phantom and his apparent goons, which is essentially what they have been doing all along in a nutshell, but because of the fact that she couldn't see a physical, hard-print copy of a contract that would be too long to read, and due to this she wouldn't even give it a second glance. Neptune works at a difference pace, okay?

"Well, I do not enjoy the fact that he simply left in a hurry, but since he's the mayor of this city, I can't say anything wrong about it. If we have to join a group of unknown origin in order to fight off The Phantom, then so be it. It shouldn't be that bad, right? We'll just do as he says, and who knows…maybe that will help us level up fully?" Vert added into the mix, trying to show a more positive side to all of this. Most of the girls wanted to combat her simplistic generosity, most ended up submitting and agreeing with Leanbox's CPU. If it all meant in the end for The Phantom to die out, then it should be all right; as long as there is no mutiny within this strange coalition, then everything shall be fine.

Compa suddenly produced an exclamation mark above her head, causing the attention of the room to shift over to her rather big head. She blushed at this sudden attention, but she held her determined countenance high. "Everyone, I completely forgot to show you something! Oh, and it was important too…" Compa said, feeling rather depressed for forgetting something that was so spectacular that everyone just had to see it. Relax, kind Compa, for even the stoic IF forgot all about this discovery.

She led the group towards a bed, which had a massive lump underneath the thick covers. Compa and IF pulled this masquerade off of the bed, and within its contents lay the figure of dear Linda, who was thankfully making a full recovery after receiving a poisonous bite…somewhere on her group all made an unison gasp at this site, most having to blink numerous times in order to let the image in front of them process completely and accurately.

"Yep, Miss Underling decided to pay us a little visit while you were gone. She was really sick, so we brought her in, gave her some antidote to treat that spooky poison, and presto, she's sleeping like a baby!" Compa exclaimed, feeling as though Linda was a long-time friend rather than, say, a major enemy towards their group. It made Nisa spit onto the ground.

"Wait, you see Underling sick, and you heal her? Compa, don't you know what she did to us? Your really a big dummy, you know that?" Ram yelled, feeling as though Linda should have been left to die out in a slow, painful way. That sick little-

"Hey, I can't ignore my oath! Even if they are my enemy, I need to help them in their time of need! She's knocked out for now, but when she wakes up, then we could go on and kick her little patooey like there was no tomorrow!" Compa answered the little girl. Ram shrugged and turned the other way, not wanting to look at what Ram described as a "rancid being." IF chuckled at this argument.

"Compa's right. We'll deal with her when she wakes up. In the meantime, let's just relax and let our wounds heal. We have to get ready for whatever Mattel thinks he's going to make us do," IF said, trying to be the voice of reason. For once in her life, everybody complied, and as such, each person of the group joined into their respective beds, allowing their wounds and fractures to heal. No matter what in the world was going to happen over the next couple of months, the girls were probably not going to be the same after experiencing what The Phantom had the capacity to do, which included _freaking reviving a long-dead Goddess. _This was going to be a painful adventure.

IF looked over at the sleeping Linda. _Listen here, Underling, we've been through so much shit in the past couple of days, so unless you have the greatest reason as to why you're here, prepare to receive the greatest and biggest beating of your life!_

* * *

5pb. Phase 2: In which Lyrica takes a journey from hell to back

5pb. was definitely scarred from what she had seen over the past couple of minutes, so to fulfill her wishes of not explaining everything that happened that first round, I'll try to be as minute as possible within my descriptions. Hopefully I can receive a copy of her latest album signed for doing this, but seeing as how this would be inappropriate to ask right now, I'll just hold my dreams behind me.

5pb. immediately ran into the arena, and already noticed two dead bodies of two elderly gents, both shot straight between the eyes with perfect precision. It is unknown who got these kills, or if no one really killed them, with the men simply killed themselves together; either way, they were both filled with grief in their last moments, and 5pb. had to witness their dead bodies in full, HD glory. She almost broke down right there on the spot, but she knew that every damn part of this map held a land-mine underneath the ground, so she had to move quickly before she ended up like those two men. Already nightmares were playing in her head, though she managed to avoid thinking about them directly. If that were to happen, she might as well be dead right about now.

The arena was completely barren all around, with the only exceptions being a tower set up like a miniature oil-rig in the southeast, and a rather spiffy concrete maze out in the middle, which was where most of the contestants quickly hid in. This, of course, back-fired against them quickly, as those that were armed and hiding within there already stabbed or shot anyone else that happened to walk in. This probably explained why seven deaths occurred within the first minute alone. Anywho, at the beginning of the map, hundreds of weapons were scattered about on the ground, and while 5pb. was a quick runner, everyone else was already out and hiding by the time she reached this weapon cache, which was already as barren as the landscape itself. Due to this, 5pb. was left weaponless, meaning she would be easy picking if somebody were to go after her.

But, dear readers, one must remember that 5pb., while an airhead, still possessed some helpful knowledge and common instinct. She knew already that everyone that ran for cover was essentially a goner, so she forced herself to stay out in the open, choosing to run about on the edges of the arena, so that the snipers high above in the raftors had no chance in smashing her skull in with their powerful bullets. Oh sure, some of the snipers managed to sneak in a few shots towards her general direction, but any that tried to fire resulted in a complete miss, allowing our dear, little idol to run free with her life.

But it wasn't easy at all for her to survive, as there were plenty of close-calls that were experienced over the time in the arena. The first one that almost killed her in an instant was from a rather plump contestant, one that had absolutely no idea what to do with a spear. When he saw 5pb. standing before him, he immediately freaked, flinging the spear all about him in an attempt at a feeble defense. 5pb. was scared at first, but seeing as how this guy was as terrified as she was, she registered him as an innocent, and she carefully moved around him, making sure that those attempted spear strikes stayed attempted.

Yet, one must remember how the rules of this sick game work; if you are standing on a space for at least one minute, that area will explode, and you will simply ludicrously gib all over the place. Would you really force the janitors to clean the hell out of you? Yeah, didn't think so. The whole point of this is that the plump boy was standing on that space like a statue, and as 5pb. narrowed her way around him, she heard a faint tick, and soon she found herself lying on the floor, with a spear laying right next to her. A few bruises and burn marks now traversed down her back, but she refused to acknowledge them, as any form of understanding the pain could spell instant death for her, as it will definitely serve as a major distraction on her end.

When she turned to face where the man was, all she saw was a lot of blood splattered about on both the dirt, the nearby wall, and even herself. There was a skeleton remaining crouching at the spot, with ash spread about the square of dirt. 5pb. remained motionless for a couple of seconds, before suddenly realizing that she was wasting time, forcing herself to cautiously stand on her own two feet as she tried to continue her pattern of following the edges of the arena perfectly in order to survive. She was lucky that the bombs only had the power to kill when people are really close to it; if she was just a centimeter closer, she might have been completely incompacitated. She wanted to make sure her fate was not like the plump boy.

_Woah, Lyrica, be careful there! That boy was a human, and he was alive and well just moments , he's dead…he's dead…_

Lyrica never stopped her stride, but she did have to puke, allowing some more of the blood that she swallowed to exit her system, now being provided in acidic format! She was glad that she was a musician, as bouncing up-and-down the stage gave her above-average endurance, allowing her to keep running while snipers and rough bullets all fired around her. Still, the scars she will have to deal with after this battle were going to be intensive, but she decided to just hope for the best on that one.

The second disturbance Lyrica experienced out on the field was even more disturbing then the first one, as this one actually involves a really young boy. As she ran, she heard a rather loud yell coming from behind, and when she turned her head slightly to get a sneak peak, she noticed that a youngster was about to stab her with the biggest bowie knife ever in existence. Her eyes opened wide with terror, both at the fact that there was literally a little kid trying to murder her, and the fact that this was the same boy that woke up with her back in the cage. She didn't want to believe it at first, but seeing as how Lan16 was nothing more then all of her nightmares being brought to life one-by-one, she had to acknowledge it in order to keep herself sane.

He was clearly malnourished in the light, and his eyes were both weary and cancerous, showing a rather disturbing disease hidden within the realms of his body. Still, he continued to swing that knife at Lyrica, grunting like a monkey as he desperately tried to keep up with the idol of Gamindustri. 5pb. screamed at the top of her lungs and begged for the little boy to stop his assault, but he continued to be relentless, swinging his knife harder now as 5pb. began to grow even more afraid. It didn't help her one bit when she began to hear the audience cheer extremely loudly, as that FPS guy kept announcing each and every death in real time. How many books is this damn scene ripping off? Eh, if it builds drama, it builds drama.

"Please stop! Oh please, don't do this! We can both live!" 5pb. said as the boy continued to fling that knife towards her general direction. He was wheezing from the mouth, and it even appeared to be that he had no idea what was going on, as his eyes were already devoid of life. By the time a blast from a machine gun finished him off, he was probably already dead. Lyrica had no idea where the highly-controversial-towards-the-author bullet came from, but no matter where it came from, the boy that once said the word "fould" to her was now lying lifeless on the dirty floor, his brains trying desperately to escape his exposed skull. In order to preserve her innonence and prevent me from being banned from this graphic material, 5pb. quickly closed her eyes and fell to the floor, crying profusely and coughing as the memory continued to replay itself within her mind.

_What the fuck is this game?...What the fuck…_

And the audience could only applaud and shout rather loudly, shouting out profanities at those that have fallem. 5pb. could only glare at them as she stood. Look at them all; they were just like the audience back at the charity concert. None of them were probably even caring about these people that are risking their lives for absolutely no reason, much like how those at the concert weren't even caring about the music being played, only caring for the fact that they could "light-up-a-joint." Sure, this was a morbid connection to make during such a scene, but you can't blame her after seeing a freaking _five-year-old _die out of sheer…nothing, really. She continued to shout maledictions within her head, not exactly caring about the death and destruction that was clearly rampant all around her.

By the time of the boy's death, only two people had to die in order for the 75 others to move on to whatever hell awaited them in the future. Sadly, this was the third and final thing that 5pb. sadly had to witness, because fate is seriously cruel like that. Do you remember how I said there was a woman caring a freaking infant in her arms with the rest of the contestants, indicating that she was forced to participate in this competition as well? Already with this fact, you can tell that this will certainly not end well.

5pb. walked around like a zombie, not caring for the fact that snipers kept trying to shoot her, or the fact that a man with a mask tried to impale her before he was smacked down by a bullet, though he managed to survive and run off free. Strangely, when 5pb. came up to the woman, she didn't even really react at first, feeling that either she was going to live or die, anyways. Better not get herself involved in any matter around her.

Yet when she saw that infant and heard its cries, she quickly reverted back to her moe, emotional self, and she quickly ran up to the mother. She was of course scared at first, bearing no weapon of her own, but when 5pb. showed that she, too, was unarmed, the mother appeared to relax.

"It's okay, Miss. I just want to help you. Just follow me, and I'll make sure that you and your baby will be okay," 5pb. said, really struggling to remain cheerful as the two deaths began to play in both of her eyes simultaneously. The mother was looking around, and seeing as how most of the people were already insane to begin with, she chose to trust the idol with her life, in the hopes that Lyrica will indeed save them.

_Good, I can at least save them. That poor little boy and plump kid don't have it lucky, though. Dammit, 5, why didn't you try and save them? Stop it, girl, you'll lose it if you go on another guilt trip!_

Oh, 5pb. You must soon realize that this fanfic is a cruel joke that simply won't stop until millions tell it to stop. We've already seen a five-year-old bite the dust, so who's to say that the same thing can't happen to freaking infants? No, I do not condone this, but The Phantom is making me do this. I really don't want to write this, but I have no choice. Forgive me, policies.

"No! Oh no, no!" Lyrica heard the mother shout behind her. She turned her body, and was horrified at what she saw. You could still faintly see the trail the sniper bullet made through the air as it tried to claim the mother's life, instead piercing straight through the body of the young infant. Lyrica's jaw dropped straight to the floor, not seeing the body itself, but knowing that all hell broke loose when the man announced the death of the youngest contestant ever on the show. The mother was down on her knees as she clutched the fallen infant in her hands, the biggest tears in the world falling from her eyes as she cradled her little baby. The crowd went wild.

"It's okay…M-Mommy's here," the mother whispered to her fallen child, failing to hold back her tears as she rocked back-and-forth, slowly drifting down that road of no return. 5pb. broke out into an all-out sob, not caring if the space she stood on would explode soon. No, I don't think anyone would care if they saw an innocent, little child get brutally murdered as the crowd freaking cheers it on. How the hell could they do that at a time like this?

In the midst of her sobs, 5pb. looked up the raftors to see the sniper that did this. She sent the biggest glare imaginable towards him, and at first it looked like he was done firing. Sadly, this was not the case, as she soon saw a flicker of light appear out of his gun. It didn't fire yet, but it was prepared to do so, and it was now aiming at the mother once more. This caused 5pb. to wake up to the situation more than ever.

"No, take me! Don't do this!" she shouted, but sadly to know avail.

Perhaps the mother wanted this, as she didn't even show any restraint when the bullet entered her body. She quickly collapsed onto the ground, blood leaking out of her head, her arms still clutching the baby tightly towards her own like that, in under seven minutes, 25 people managed to lose their lives for absolutely no reason. And the crowd adored it.

"That's it, folks! What a surprise finish, don't you all think?" FPS shouted from his mic. With those words, the crowd grew into a raucous, stomping their feet onto the ground as they continously shouted the show's name. A gate opened up on the far side of the arena, and armed guards appeared out of it, detailing to the remaining contestants to cease fire, or face execution. The people all complied, and immediately followed the guards into the door. All, well, except for Lyrica, who was now huddled over the dead mother and child.

"No…you bastards! You took her away for what reason? Fuck you all!" 5pb. shouted at the top of her lungs, not caring how Epica and Iffy would feel after hearing her say that. She slammed her fists into the ground as guards walked up towards her, aiming their rifles down towards her. Seeing as how she wasn't going to get up herself, the soldiers had to hoist her up and drag her towards the waiting room. This was easier said then done.

"Don't you dare touch me," Lyrica said, suddenly realizing that she was acting the same way as she was back at the concert, though this time she didn't really mind it. In fact, she enjoyed the feeling of swearing during dark times like this. The soldiers immediately aimed their guns and were ready to fire upon the poor, scarred idol, but FPS's voice came over the line.

"Men, do not hurt her. Lead her normally like the others, and she will be obedient. Trust me, I know."

Lyrica wanted to grab a sniper rifle and shoot the hell out of FPS, but that will have to be saved for another time. She didn't know why, but she listened to what the man said, as she stood up accordingly and left the stadium as the crowd cheered and applauded. As 5pb. exited the stage, she felt as though the stage left her.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 3, para 6:_

"…I want you to all know that what will be described further in this book will most likely be disturbing and not suitable for minors. Theories go on and on over such matters that only certain folk could ever understand, so even some adults have to be properly warned, as this book has the ability to wreck the mind of the average human. I do not hate the Goddess system, nor do I truly disapprove of the Celestia system of afterlife, but I do have many concerns that detail both of them extensively. I hope that whatever I say does not affect my mind anymore than it already has, for if it does, I might end up going completely insane like the jester in "Flying-squirell Man." I hope you enjoy this, for this story will most likely hurt your mind more than it hurt mine…"


	20. PART 4: The Two Devils

The game adaptation will feature more game-play about survival, but as this will never have a game, this line was useless

* * *

Part 04:

The Beastmaster and the Talking Belt

* * *

Chapter 25: In which Uni experiences her first nightmare

As Mattel walked out and before the group looked at the slumbering Linda, Nisa noticed a strange bundle of papers shoved over in the corner of the room. Deciding to investigate it, she picked up the part of it that was loose, and read what it said on the cover:

**Histoire's Relations with The Phantom?**

Did the famed Planeptune Oracle ever interact with the dark man himself?

_Why do I keep finding random newspapers? _Nisa asked herself, before joining the group once more. She stuffed the old paper into her back-pocket, making it look as though she had a skinny tail. Considering this series, that was actually a likely scenario.

The group was tasked with waiting for a couple of hours, as the medicine Compa had given them would finally kick in, allowing them to be able to travel all about the land like a sandbox-RPG. They all took to one of the beds in the room and thought to themselves, all wondering what could possibly occur out there in the wilderness. They have already seen those disturbing creatures when they first got here, as well as those strange zombie-like beings that chased them to the village, taking 5pb. and Captain U.S. Les's squad in the process. Hell, even before they landed on the landmass, they saw that strange dragon try to attack them, only for another huge dragon to come and swipe it out of the air; if they encountered that beast, they were as good as dead. Hopefully the trek through the landmass, filled with training and whatever Mattel will require of them to do, will be a surprisingly easy venture not worth their time in the slightest. Let us hope for them, readers.

Against her wishes, Nepgear decided to lie right next to Uni, as her bed was considerably bigger than the rest of them. Uni was ready to say something to her fellow Candidate, but even after being knocked out for a considerably long time, she still felt rather fatigued, and she found herself falling into a dream. Nepgear didn't know if Uni wanted to stay awake or not, so she simply watched her friend go to sleep, gently brushing through Uni's hair in order to relax her. Uni didn't really notice it at a regular level of consciousness, but this brushing helped her get to bed rather peacefully. Oh man, if she found out Nepgear was doing this, she would instantly deny any help being given at all, though Nepgear would still do it, as that was her very nature.

As Uni fell into a deep slumber, Nepgear could only frown at the marks on her friends' arms. _I wonder what I could even do. I could tell Compa about this; she might be able to help her. But then Uni would get angry, and Compa might take it the wrong way and tell Noire about it. Goodness, what can I do? _She thought, feeling bothered over something she was not sure if it truly was a problem (Well, Nepgear, it kind of is). No matter what she did, Uni might get angry over it, and nowadays, Uni was rather sensitive over everything, making this whole situation even more difficult than ever before. _Don't worry, Uni. Even if you get angry, I'll still make sure you get better. _

Nepgear happened to look over her shoulder in order to see her older sister smiling at her from a distance. At first, Nepgear implied that she was smiling because she was bonding with Uni, and because of that she smiled towards her sister and waved back. Neptune must have noticed that Nepgear's hand was still brushing through Uni's black hair, as her face literally lit up like a candle. She soon made this strange face of excitement, and gave her little sis a thumbs-up. Nepgear was confused over this gesture, but nevertheless she gave her sis a thumbs-up as well, thinking that Neptune was trying to ask if she was okay or not. Noire was about to walk up to Neptune, meaning she was going to have the ability to see Nepgear and Uni on that bed. Nepgear would've been fine with this, but Neptune quickly got scared, shoving Noire away from her. Noire swore, and immediately grew angry at Neptune, who brought their eventual confrontation over to the other side of the room. Overall, Nepgear was completely confused over what the hell just happened, but oh well.

"I hope you're having a good dream, Uni," Nepgear said to her slumbering friend, suddenly feeling her own eyelids grow heavier. She didn't want to sleep at this exact moment, but her body wasn't really giving her a choice in this matter. _I guess I have a few hours to spare. I'll just take a quick nap, and then I'll be in top shape for…whatever we're going to do! _Nepgear thought to herself, lying down next to her friend as she pulled up a blanket. As if by instinct, she wrapped a hand around Uni, because let's face it, Nepgear was just that innocent. Within minutes, Nepgear drifted off to sleep, having a strange dream about a horse and ferns and IF dancing in the moonlight.

But for Uni, her dream was nothing short of a nightmare. In fact, something was completely off about this particular dream, as for some bizarre reason, she could feel everything happening to her, as though everything was real.

Everything.

* * *

_When Uni opened her eyes, she was definitely cold and hungry. She could see her breath crystallize in front of her, and her body was growing numb from the surprisingly terrible air-quality. She found herself sitting against a dark wall, one that was covered in ice and rust, resembling an old war-ship that has been long out of use. She carefully stood, feeling her legs cracking as blood began to re-circuit around in her veins and arteries; she honestly felt like an old maid right about now. She patted her body as she stood, relieved to find out that her regular costume was still on, meaning nothing terrible occurred; if she was 5pb. Right now, she would not be able to survive without a wardrobe of her own choice._

_ "Where am I? Hello? Is somebody out there?" Uni called out into the world, adjusting her pupils as the darkness began to claim her vision. She felt her stomach grumble, begging for something to eat, even though she knew that she ate just a couple of hours ago; she might have been hungry by now, but not this hungry! Unlike 5pb., however, Uni instantly remembered everything that was going on, including the fact that she was still asleep on that bed (_she didn't know about Nepgear, but knowing that she was asleep was good enough for her_), and everything currently going on with The Phantom and Lan16. Still, this acknowledgement was not helping her understand why she was in this strange place; was she in the middle of dreaming, and was simply lucid? No, she had those before, and this was definitely not one of those._

_ Knowing that no one was going to answer her, Uni decided to look about for herself, trying to get an understanding of her surroundings. The ground was too dark for her to notice anything strange, but she could see the sky clearly, as its color was very pronounced. The majority of the world was a puke-green color, with the biggest moon she had ever seen illuminated the scenery from afar, though it was clearly not being beneficial to her, seeing as how everything was still in a shadow. There were no visible clouds in the sky, but she noticed that the air above looked like a spiraling vortex, with the massive moon being the center of this strange abnormality of nature. Mini landmasses were floating above the ground, dotting the sky sporadically, with one just slightly above Uni's own head. They were all like islands, with one of them showing a huge tree from the edge of it, or at least what looked like a tree from Uni's perspective. With the metallic ship, which looked like an ancient aircraft carrier that has been left to rot for ages, standing firm behind her body, she concluded that she was definitely in some fucked up situation._

_ "Why do strange things always happen to me? First that strange face in the mirror, and now…" Uni moaned, taking baby steps forward, just in case a hidden chasm suddenly appeared in front of her, ready to claim her life. She was going to finish that quote with talking about the voices in her head, but as she opened her mouth, she felt a stinging pain on her arms, and a woozy feeling began to overtake her. "What the hell?" Uni asked, trying to focus her eyes on her arms, which were now growing numb and slightly prickly. Giving up on holding her arm out, Uni moved it closer to her eyes, almost to the point of smashing it against her very nose. Immediately she felt something drip down upon her shoe. Producing a question mark, she suddenly felt this strange presence behind her, and she felt an icy breath on her neck._

_ "Need a light, kind child? Here, let me make you one," the voice appeared to say, though it was heavily distorted beyond belief. Uni froze up in shock, but before she could get the chance to force herself to move, she saw a strange orb of light produced just a few mere inches in front of her face. She twisted her head to the side, in the hopes that she would be able to catch a glimpse of the strange being that made such a thing possible, but unfortunately, the only thing she was able to see was the darkness and the metallic structure of the ruined ship; unless this man was good, there was nothing behind her to speak of._

_ "I guess I just use this light, or something," Uni grumbled, seeing if she was able to either grab it freely or feel burned if she attempted to do so. However, she was delayed from doing this for quite some time as she caught a rather disturbing glimpse of why her arms were hurting her. Her eyes opened wide as she saw strange marks randomly form up on her skin, each one smashing into her nerves and making her wince terribly. Each wound was exaggerated greatly; as each one opened for her to plainly see, with muscle beginning to show itself within the reddish mass of blood, something that made her want to puke. Fresh blood came out of each socket, falling to the floor like a heavy rain during the early spring season. Strange enough for this whole, disturbing scene, was that besides the pain that was becoming really evident by now, she didn't feel any colder than she already was, and she can already determine that this much blood falling out of her would've probably killed her by now, or at least knock her completely unconscious. This was clearly just a dream._

_ Still didn't help the feeling of wooziness, though._

_ "Okay, why the hell are my arms bleeding? A-And who gave me this light? I mean, I-It's not like I'm not grateful or anything, but…" Uni stammered, wanting to fold her arms against her (_both for being cold and to show her bitterness_), but out of fear of staining her clothes or injuring her arms any further, she chose against it. She really wanted a reply right about now, as it would at least help her ease this pain of loneliness. She has to be careful over what she wishes for in life._

_ "Ah, you wanted me to show myself, dear Uni?" the voice suddenly returned, suspiciously sounding like the voice from back on blood that decided to stay within her grew into a pale state, and Uni stopped worrying about her sliced-up arms for a brief moment. All around her was the complexion of black that can drive a sane man to the brink of ruin, but Uni knew that something was watching her, either from afar or was simply invisible to the naked eye. She still felt the breath on the back of her neck, making her wonder if this creep was hiding on her back._

_ "Okay, who's there? This isn't funny! I…I think I need help here!" Uni yelled, stomping her cold foot on the crusty floor, which created an echo that lasted for a good minute. The breathing on her neck was getting even worse, to the point that she began to fear that the skin was now growing into a huge ice-cube, ready to break at any second. A person without a neck is definitely not a good thing, but then again, you already know that. "Oh, fuck it," Uni muttered, reaching behind her, ready to fight off this damn monster that really wanted her to freeze to death. Her body did not like this sudden movement of her wounded appendages, but right now, bleeding out sounded a lot more better than freezing to death by some jerkass and the atmosphere._

_ What she felt, however, made her scream. _

_ It wasn't necessarily a "thing" that she felt, but rather nothing, though it still was a substance in regards to the theory of matter. Behind her back was even colder then the air around her, and the farther she reached, the colder it suddenly got. What the flying hell could this possibly be? Uni was now shaking, and knowing that nothing physical was on her back, she decided to turn her entire countenance, in the hopes that she'll at least see this thing. "Come on, don't be an abomination…don't be an abomination!" Uni repeated several times as her body twisted rather slowly to aim at the ship._

_ There it was. It stood, or rather floated, tall and proud in the dark, with the cloud of smoke trailing all around its disgusting figure, or lack thereof. It had a light shining through its center, which was a mask that was trapped in a frown exactly the opposite of how The Phantom looked, oddly the shade of blue like the light above Lastation . It had many cracks stretching about it, and it seemed to be the size of Uni herself. There was no body to speak of, and the face didn't actually have any muscles either, meaning it was more of a huge mask rather than an actual mask. With the exact deposition it carried back in the bathroom, it stared directly at Uni like some twisted monster born from the depths of hell. With its appearance, that might just be its origin story._

_ "Wha…?" Uni stammered as she began to walk backwards, not really attentive over whether or not a chasm was going to make its appearance in this place. The figure let out a disgusting chuckle, one that you swore would peel the paint off of walls in seconds. Uni was petrified, but being a tsundere-in-training, she hid it behind a mask of anger, her body standing in a position that made it imply she was in a stand-off, with a pistol hiding in her back pocket. The blood from her arms leaked out even more, to the point that it was a heavy downpour from each of the exposed wounds._

_ "Uni, are trying to be prepared for danger, just in case I might end up being a violent soul?" the figure asked, the mask moving rather subtlety towards her, its expression unnerving to the standard onlooker. Uni puffed out her cheek, feeling as though his question was that of an insult. She formed fists, her body reacting negatively as the muscles within her arms slightly popped out, giving the game-designers something to cringe about as they animate this particular scene._

_ "Well, you gave me this light, you look creepy, and you sound threatening. Of course I'm going to be defensive!" Uni shouted, taking a light step forwards as she tried to look as though she really wasn't that weak from the blood-loss, which now that we mentioned it, was causing a massive, red puddle to form around the front of her shoes. The figure noticed this, its false eyes looking at the puddle with a great intensity that would've gave regular people migraines._

_ "But why, Uni? Why would you defend yourself, when all you really seek is the death of your soul? Don't you want to be forever damned with your misery?" the figure stated, sounding so monotonous, and yet so filled with emotion that you would think he would burst out crying out of nowhere. Uni's pose remained, but she was clearly growing more and more weary from this man's words, if you can even call it a man._

_ "What the hell do you mean? Are you saying I want to die, you creep? Who the fuck do you think you are?"_

_ "Forgive me, I did not realize that this is a different generation. Yes, I am implying that you want to die."_

_ "Well…I don't! Just shut and tell me why I'm here!" Uni yelled, seriously wishing she was armed with a weapon right about now. The figure let out another laugh that was capable of sending somebody into the realm of insanity. Needless to say, she was creeped out beyond belief._

_ "Why do you care, child? You simply just spoke a subterfuge towards me, and as the elder, I can choose to simply withhold my answer for you. Besides, you clearly just want to die, so your lies are nothing to me. Isn't it obvious by the wounds on your appendages that you would rather bask in the coldness of hell then hear my words?" The figure shouted towards the little CPU Candidate, who felt like she was cornered towards a wall, even though there was none to speak of, or at least none near her. Why the hell was this bastard saying that she wanted to die?_

_ "Hey, you were probably the one that did this to me! I didn't have these before, so don't think I did this to myself!" Uni shouted once more, feeling her throat grow hoarser and hoarser by the second; this cool air was not helping her in this argument with some strange creature of unknown origin. The mask-like face turned to look in the opposite direction, and Uni felt dread as she saw that the mask was attached to absolutely nothing but the air around it. "What, not going to answer me? Come on, are you that stupid?" Uni taunted the floating mask, feeling as though she achieved victory tonight, though she was still at a loss when it came to figuring out what the hell is going on, or where she could even be._

_ The mask turned faster than the fastest gyro ever made; the mask moving directly in front of Uni, staring her down as the light emitting from it nearly blinding Uni. "I did not hurt you like this. This was the work caused by you, not by anyone else. You had them before, right? How sad, ain't it?" The figure said, looking now at her wounds, which began to look like raw meat with all of the blood still left over. Uni turned around, not wanting to look at this damn man, or whatever the hell it was._

_ "Why do you care?"_

_ "Because I know, dear Uni.I've been watching you ever since you stepped foot on the landmass. Sister being too hard because she gave you work? Oh, the humanity!"_

_ "S-Shut up! Yeah, you're not creepy at all…besides, it's a lot more complicated then you think! A lot more complicated!"_

_ "Why? Because the nation's falling apart, and you think you're at fault? I can read your mind, Uni; that's my job, and it will always be my job. Come on, grow back-bone already! In my profession, I have seen many overcome their self-inflicting and suicidal lifestyles, as they were strong. Are you trying to tell me that you are pathetic, and deserve the fate you desire very much?" The figure replied, chuckling as he finished off his lines with the sound of thunder accompanying each word stated. Uni scoffed loudly._

_ "You're seriously telling me this as though you were human once. Seriously, I am not suicidal, and if you still think I'm lying, then, well, I don't know what to do with you," Uni trailed off, looking down towards the floor, as though she was starting to feel defeated. How is that so? Wasn't it appearing that she was winning with this line stated?_

_ The figure flew over to the other side of her, making sure she could view him with all of his brightness. "I do not believe you for even a second, dear Uni. You are looking more and more depressed by the time clocking down, which means I am successfully breaking you apart. Don't feel terrible about it, as it was my job when I was a mortal like you. I know you are suicidal, and that you began cutting when things got rough over this past winter season. You have tried to kill yourself about three times, but because of the sight of your friend walking by, you managed to hold on to whatever hope you can find. Still, if she is not present, you will end everything, right? Wouldn't it be ironic if she was the reason you die?" He nearly whispered in her ear, to the point that it was hard to hear him. Uni tried to look down, but no matter how far her head went down, he was always there to glare at her._

_ Even though she did not want to admit to it, it was all true. Over the past year, Uni has tried to end her life exactly three times, all randomly dealing with the number seven in each. The first attempt was after Noire practically destroyed her in front of a couple of town officials all across Lastation, where she made seven knots on a rope to make a noose, though because Nepgear called her at that moment, she failed. The second one was when she first began cutting herself, where she was going to cut her throat seven times to bleed out efficiently, but when she heard that Nepgear was coming over that day, she only got to the point where the knife was right at her throat. Finally, her latest attempt was a few weeks before they went to Lan16, where she rigged a gun to shoot exactly seven times in her direction after a fight with Kei didn't work out. This was her favorite one, for she always wanted to die by getting shot (_it was some sort of warrior's ritual, or something along those lines)_, but when she saw Nepgear outside the Basilicom, she randomly couldn't do it, and stopped the gun before it discharged. Strange enough, Nepgear was generally the only reason why Uni was even here today. Still, she didn't say anything to this figure, not wanting to prove him correct._

_ "I can see that you are reminiscing about all those dark times, yes?" The figure randomly blurted out, still not being able to show emotion in any sense of the word. Uni blushed, and looked over to the side, though the figure immediately flew right back in front of her eye-sight, pissing her off to no end._

_ "N-No! Listen, why do you even want me here? Where are we?"_

_ The Figure laughed at her, making Uni want to tear her hair out. "I was waiting for you to ask about your current whereabouts. Let us just say that we are traversing through your own depression, eh?"_

_ Uni shook her head. "I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting any other answer. Bu-but that's only half of the question! Why do you even want me here? Hell, just tell me who you are!" Uni asked, ignoring the fact that her stomach was still grumbling ferociously, something she forgot about ever since this bastard showed up. The mask of the smoke flew backwards towards the ship, his mass of darkness lingering on in front of her before finally following him._

_ "My job a long time ago was to make sure people that are naturally insane were able to control themselves, and thus live their lives the way they should. Thus, I want to help you with your suicidal tendencies, for how can Lastation survive when you are a broken individual?" the figure asked, now floating in a circle around Uni, who was shaking her fist. He must have been surprised by what she did next, as he was clearly not expecting Uni to laugh to herself. "Laughter? Either you are growing insane here in your conscience, or you are laughing because you are thinking of something wrong. Which one is it, child?" the figure asked once more._

_ Uni finished her chuckling, and wiped her mouth of any extra saliva, spreading some blood over face. "I know what this is! I'm just having a nightmare, and you're my mind trying to tell me not to hurt myself! I don't mean to, but come on, can you really blame me? Besides, even if you aren't my mind, I would still not want your help! Just get me out of here, already!" Uni shouted, feeling as though she just solved all this. She remembered that she was sleeping in that mini-hospital back in Corporatol City, so that means that this has to all be a terrible dream. Wait, if that is the case, then why was she still feeling intense pain and the cold of the atmosphere? Ah, probably nothing to be worried about._

_ The figure looked at her, not even moving when the sudden breeze brushed by the landscape, almost throwing Uni to the ground. "I see. You believe I am false, and that if I was real, you would still yield to my treatment, yes?" the figure asked, with Uni nodding in response. "Well then, I guess you deserve the fate that lingers within your head. You want to die, and there is no hiding it; truly depressing, but then again, people are always different when it comes to mentality!"_

_ Uni looked at him with disturbance. "So what, you're mad now? You're going to try and kill me or something? Come on, if I'm suicidal, shouldn't I kill myself instead of you?" Uni protested, still making a face that indicated that she somehow won this hopeless situation. Oh Uni, you have to realize that when a being is present, there are never any winners to be found; trust me, I found out the hard way._

_ "You are right, Uni; I shall not fulfill your dreams. You will!" the figure said, and once more let out a cackle that made Uni feel horrible. Her eyes went bugged as she wondered what the hell he could possibly mean by that. Still, she had to make sure she showed off her superiority to this conflict, so she resumed her confident face and posture, not caring anymore that she was bleeding profusely to no end. Screw it, this is all a dream. Right?_

_ "Wait, do you think I'm going to go out of my way and kill myself right here, or something? I'm not going to do that, just so you know!" Uni said, laughing out loud as the figure only stared at her. When strange beings only stared at you without making a single noise, then you know that all hell was about to break loose._

_ "No, but let's see how your mind will handle this!" The figure shouted, and, well, all hell broke loose. Uni had no idea what to expect._

_ The darkness of the creature soon exploded, and a blue light appeared against the heavy shadows of the world. Uni held her hand up in front of her face, trying to keep her sight for once today. When her eyes got used to the light, she was able to see a clear silhouette standing amidst the land, having hair-drills for hair, a barely-existing suit, a gigantic gun in one hand, and strange accessories floating all about her. For some strange reason, she looked almost like…_

_"Oh god, that's me," Uni said, horrified as her Godly self began to float towards her. Indeed, it was Black Sister before her, adorned in her MK.I suit with the strongest gun from the second game. However, being that Uni was just standing over there, something of course was awfully wrong with this version of her. Besides the fact that she was behind one form, her eyes were completely desecrated, filled now with a deep, crimson red, almost mirroring the color of the blood that was leaking from the original Uni's arms. Stranger still, her body was completely hunched, with the arms crossed over the chest and her legs barely even…well, legs, looking more like sticks as they hovered over towards Uni. She was even paler than originally, and her hair sagged downwards, almost breaking the formation of those strange hair-drills. To our Uni, this was pretty disturbing, to say the least._

_ "Will you look at that? I didn't make her like this because I wanted to freak you out. No, I designed this version of you based on your current view of yourself. Pretty worthless, yes?" the figure asked as it or he looked at the perplexing mannequin walk towards her original form. Uni took a few steps back, jaw on the floor as the MK.I version of her drew ever near, her face filled with nothing but envy. This was going down the shitter, fast._

_ "I-I don't think like…O-Okay, what is she going to do?" Uni asked, raising her hands in the air, hoping that this would dissuade, er, herself from attacking. The false Uni, however, was not stopping anytime soon, floating over to our Uni quicker than ever before. "Shit…" Uni swore as she felt the ground end behind her feet. Huh, there was a chasm here after all! But that is not the point right now; right now, Uni was probably going to die in her sleep if this version of her caught her in a trap, which seems to be happening right about now._

_ "Uni, I am only fulfilling your dreams. You refused my help, so I guess death is the only thing that will rest your weary soul," the figure said, letting out a blood-churdling laugh as the false Uni suddenly lashed out at our Uni._

_ Uni tried to deflect the bullet somehow by using her hands, but you can already guess how well that worked out for her. The first bullet implanted within her chest cavity, while the second hit just about near the hip. Uni let out an exasperated grunt as she crumbled to the floor, with another bullet piercing under her left arm just as she collapsed onto her knees. She was gasping for air, trying to transform her body into her CPU counterpart, but for some reason her body denied her. "Not…good…" Uni muttered as blood began to leak from her mouth, due to a bullet piercing a portion just next to her lungs (_it came out like "nwahh gwoaah"_). She looked up to see the monster of herself staring her down, not giving a single hint of emotion as she watched her human counterpart begin to die before her. Unluckily for Uni, that gun was still equipped with four more bullets, meaning Uni has only taken a glimpse of what pain this person can dish out. Another bullet smashed against her left knee-cap, with her right knee-cap breaking soon after. _

_ She tried to say "stop" towards her evil version of her godly self, but her hip was shot again, and her vocal cords were screaming to just let it all end. "I guess one more bullet is needed. You could've asked for my help, and I would've complied. We would have found the roots of your errors, and fixed them to make you an obedient teenager, but apparently you strongly desired the cool sensation of death," the figure taunted her as Uni began to see her vision fade away. Deep in her head, she was begging for death, so all of this pain she was experiencing could finally vacant her soul, bringing her to some form of peace. Yet this was not the way she wanted to go, and as the false Uni rose the gun one more time to take out her head, a single tear left Uni's left eye._

_ "_Uni…Uni~…"

_A strange voice soon began to fill the world, breaking the italicized font for just a moment, causing even the figure to grow confused. Uni slowly expired as the false version of herself lowered the gun, looking up towards the gigantic moon out in the distance. "Hm," the figure thought out loud, looking up towards the sky as well, still not a single emotion filling his palate of a bright face. Uni was baffled over what the hell was going on, but she felt, randomly, a slight feel of hope randomly break through her broken body._

"Uni, wake up!"

"_N-Nepgear?" Uni said, though she thought she said it, as all that came out was a gurgle of nonsense and blood. The figure quickly looked down at her, before looking up once more. The false Uni looked at him, shaking violently out of nowhere, with pieces of her body dissolving in a matter of seconds, right down to the point that she was nothing but dust in this chilled land. The sky began to glow, and the entire world was starting to grow into a whiter shade of pale. Either that, or Uni was going through that stage where people believe they see a tunnel of light that leads to the afterlife; I won't debunk personal beliefs here, so let us just leave that reference alone._

"_What do you know? Nepgear seems to be the only reason you live most of these events, eh? I guess you're going to be living this encounter, so hopefully you'll find it within your heart to accept help from me, or else this charade will commence once more," the figure stated, chuckling to himself as the world grew brighter and brighter still. Uni just continued to look at the man, slightly terrified of the fact that her fake variation vanished out of thin air. With a grunt of pain, she saw the cold land of her apparent depression disappear, and the entire world filled in an endless void of light._

"Uni! Goodness, I don't want to be rude, but we have to go now. Uni?"

Uni saw through blurry eyes an old, run-down hospital, and she was able to determine that she was slowly-but-surely waking up, feeling the relaxing comfort of the bed in the room, with the pain of her body leaving gradually over time. _Wow, that was all just a dream. Man, that was terrible, _Uni thought as the world became clear once more. She saw the ceiling of the mini-sanctuary, and as she brought her eyes to observe the rest of the room, she saw the rest of the party walking all around, their equipment holstered in their hammer-space inventions, with their respective injuries being healed to almost 100% (Compa really outdid herself with this invention. Got to be surprised at that fact, readers!). This prompted Uni to investigate her own body, and she was surprised to find that her burn marks were nearly gone; sans for the ones that originally started pitch black (they were now light-red).

"Man, how does Compa do it?" Uni asked herself, feeling the need to go over and thank the doctor for all she had done, though by investigating the room, she saw that Compa was already outside, along with Falcom and Gust. "I guess I better get going, or…" Uni began to say as she reached for her gun pouch lying against the bedpost. She suddenly felt something tug at her hand that was still on the bed, and for a moment, she started to remember that deadly dream that nearly claimed her life, thinking that the thing tugging at her hand was either her fake form or that damn whatever-the-hell-that-was.

_Yes, I am implying that you want to die._

Without a bit of hesitation in her mind, Uni turned her head quickly, taking a hold of her gun as she was ready to swing it at whatever was clutching her. She nearly died for no good reason within that dream of her's, but she will not die when her life was seriously on the line. She can die any other way, but not from something trying to hold her down. However, as soon as she about to strike the being out with the butt of her gun, she realized who it was that was tugging on her hand. Man, if she hit this person, she would've been in deep trouble with like, everyone!

"Goodness! Uni, please don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart-attack!" Nepgear cried as she held her hands up defensively. The butt of the gun was literally centimeters away from breaking the nose of dear, little Nepgear, but thankfully Uni stopped herself in time, making the gun just kind of hang there in the open air. When she saw Nepgear almost break down into an emotional mess, Uni's eyes grew ever wide, and she was ready to start either her tsunderish tendencies, or go into a nervous breakdown, almost like how 5pb. Seems to go through.

"Nepgear, I didn't mean it! Oh shit, I'm sorry. I…I just had a nightmare, so, you know," Uni stammered as she lowered the gun down towards the bed, making sure that the safety was indeed on (no need for violations of safety regulations here. No siree!). She placed her hands on Nepgear's shoulders, hoping that this gesture would somehow make Nepgear forgive her. She never really had to do this, so she was still learning, but Nepgear had no idea why she had to apologize.

"No, it's my fault, Uni. I shouldn't have startled you like that," Nepgear said rather apologetically. Uni sighed, knowing that Nepgear was probably going to say something stupid like that. She saw her friend begin to let loose some tears out of her pretty eyes, and with another sigh, Uni produced a handkerchief out of her gun-pouch and personally wiped away any stray tears that managed to maneuver out of her sockets. Needless to say, Nepgear was quite surprised by this generous gesture.

"Don't blame yourself, Nepgear. Come on; I think you said it yourself that we're leaving now? Let's just let this slide, okay?" Uni asked, not wanting to think about what would've happened if she just let her gun move just a few centimeters forward. She forced herself off the bed and began to head towards the door, carrying the gun-pouch over her left shoulder as she began to beat IF towards the exit.

But before she could win this imaginary race, Uni suddenly remembered the end of her dream, and how she heard Nepgear's voice before she completely died in her sleep. She remembered how the figure said that it was always Nepgear that managed to save her life, right before all of her terrible attempts at suicide. She felt rather terrible now over not thanking Nepgear for practically saving her life, even if Nepgear had no idea of it actually happening. As IF won this imaginary race, Uni turned to face Nepgear once more, who was busy picking up her hammer-space and getting off the bed.

Quickly, she spout out the term "thank you, Nepgear," before she turned and blushed, quickly escaping through the exit door. Nepgear just looked at where Uni once stood, a question mark appearing over her head as she wondered what in the goodness was that all about.

* * *

Chapter 26: In Which the party is briefed on what lies ahead in Lan16

"Everyone present that need be? Good."

The group was now out near the front entrance to the city/town/village. When they disembarked from the hospital-like place, they were all told to head here, where Mattel was sitting on a stump, a bonfire sitting in front of him. When they arrived, he instructed them to all sit around in a circle around the fire, as he was going to explain nearly everything that was possible to explain about The Phantom.

"Cool, I feel like a special agent, or something! Just to make sure, Mattel, you _are _telling the truth about there being a group against The Phantom, right? I don't want to end up in Room 101, or anything," Neptune pondered, kneeling awfully close towards the flames that began to grow high in the sky. If it wasn't for Noire, Neptune's burn marks would have returned way too quickly. Mattel simply stroked his mini-beard.

"That is a weird reference coming from someone like you, Neptune," IF blurted out, quickly folding her phone after playing a rousing round of "Monastery Jog." She now turned to Mattel, spitting quickly towards the fire (She hoped no one noticed her, but being that they were all in a circle, of course everyone saw it clearly). "Mattel, I believe there is a group out there, but what exactly do you do? I mean, he has people defending him, but so far I haven't seen any other soldier walking around," she questioned the leader of Corporatol City. Mattel finished stroking his mini-beard and, within a blink of an eye, he spat towards the fire as well. IF hoped that would ease her embarrassment, but she still felt the embers burning within her.

"To chill any of your thoughts about us existing or not, let it be known that there is, without a bit of single doubt in my mind, a group against The Phantom. It was founded two decades ago, and I am one of the leaders, as you lot are all aware of. To answer your question, IF, there are soldiers out there, but not a whole lot. We fight for others that are pained by The Phantom's rule, and we help the citizens of the west side of Lan16 by fighting off The Phantom's creations, as well as any rebellion groups that are formed in response to us," Mattel began his heavy exposition.

"So you're more of a peace corp. more than anything," Noire commented. Mattel looked over at her, sneering to himself, his old-yet-sturdy muscles erupted in a roar of laughter.

"Now that you mention it, we kind of are! However, we are only like that because we haven't begun our war with his forces and men. We didn't have, what would you call it, a catalyst that explained our actions. We have groups all spread about this landmass, just waiting for this catalyst to appear and send off to start the fight. That's what I think you lot are here for; the Polygonal Gods must've subconsciously sent you here to help us cause this here uprising," Mattel explained, hoping to quell the questioning Noire. Noire just shook her head, still thinking that no matter what, this group of his will forever be a peace corps.

"Groups waiting to fight, eh? Well, I don't think we are the reason for this, or whatever 'catalyst' means, but no matter what, if we have to lead an army, then hell yeah, let's do it!" Neptune shouted, standing up proudly as she raised a fist into the air. She felt like she was in a coalition against the tyrant Dong Zh-crap, real life person! Uh, a coalition against the devil himself. Yeah, that's more like it! Mattel made a gesture for Neptune to sit down, and she did do so, though she was still jumping up-and-down in excitement in her seat, making Noire and Vert (those sitting next to her) feel rather nervous and rather weirded out.

Mattel brought with him his trademark mug, and after taking a big gulp of whatever he happened to be drinking, he wiped his mouth and continued. "Anyways, if The Phantom is only giving you all to the end of the August month, then I'm assuming you all are staying here until he is brought to justice, correct?" Mattel questioned, throwing a stranded twig into the fire. Nisa folded her arms around her chest and nodded multiple times.

"You are correct, Mattel! We always have that chance to escape, but when people are under tyrannical rule, then it is a heroine's duty to protect those that are less fortunate! You at least have my word, Mattel!" Nisa proclaimed, slamming a fist onto her flat-chest. The other girls would've normally protested somewhat, not wanting to get involved in another nation's problems, but after that whole fiasco that they have all endured with the man in question, they all wanted their fair share in revenge. Nisa was proud to see that her comrades were with her.

"That man has already become a scourge towards all of us, Mattel, but the main problem I am having is how can we possibly be of any help? We do not know this land all that well, and the creatures have surely proven themselves to be rather…different, from what we're used to over at Gamindustri," Vert began to say, placing her left hand over her heart, "And it appears that The Phantom has drained all of our energy with that electric shock gizmo, so our strength is not up to par with what you might want. We can level up, of course, but will we have enough time to do so before the end of summer?"

Mattel took another big gulp out of his mug. "Relax, fair maiden. Here in Lan16, you'll probably be level 100 by the time of the first boss! I have never seen Gamindustri with my own, one eye until now, but seeing it from one of the watchtowers, I can already tell it's a lot kinder then our own personal hell here. The monsters on this landmass are all super-powerful, to the point that this game may be dubbed 'Supendo Hard!'" Mattel said, grunting as his head randomly produced an aching pain behind the temples, something that Neptune noticed quickly. Was Mattel feeling the exact same pain that she felt back at the Basilicom? Blanc wondered too, as well as wondering why he called it "Supendo," when it was now Lowee. Eh, the last itme Gamindustri was around in his lifetime was during the days when Supendo existed, I guess. After he recovered from this sudden headache, his voice returned to its original prominence. "Wow, that was a bugger. What was I saying? Oh yes, there are plenty of creatures that will be causing you headaches out there, but you should be strong enough to fight him in the end. However, they are not your biggest threat!

"Like I said, there aren't many soldiers out here that support The Phantom, but there are some rebellious groups lingering about the forests and plains, and they are armed with weapons that can turn a man into cheese in a flash! Even then, there are some of the creatures of the forests that have been domesticated by those groups before we got to them, meaning that most will go against their own, very nature just to attack anyone that's not a rebel. The monsters those people are, but we cannot help it! I will recommend that if you are going out there to level up, stay as far away from these groups as possible," Mattel finished, stroking his beard once more, his eye-patch looking gray in the afternoon orange-sunlight.

IF looked down at the ground, looking like she was filled with trepidation as she also spat to the side (the medicine Compa and Gust collaborated upon had that type of side-effect). As Mattel continued to speak about the dangers out in the forest, she began to lose her sanguineness over finding 5pb., knowing that the idol, while being able to hold her own against the wild back in Gamindustri, will probably be dead if she managed to escape that vine in the first place. Neptune turned to her brunette friend, trying to smile to make IF feel better, though she couldn't find the strength to do so against this terrible ordeal. She still felt that 5pb. Was alive out there, but like IF, she too, began to lose some of her optimism. _No, _Neptune thought to herself, _you have to stay strong, girl! If Iffy starts noticing you're losing hope, then we'll never find her!_

Vert cleared her throat, sighing as some relief was apparently found for her. "I understand, Mattel. If that's the case, we'll just have to keep our guard up out there. I'll be happy to help you and everyone else if it means that The Phantom will fall from his position of ruling. Is everyone with me and Nisa?" Vert asked, appearing to be the surrogate ruler of this party for a brief moment.

Noire stood up next. "Of course. I have better things to do over at Lastation, but the fact that this man not only hurt me and Uni, but also threatening the lives of others for no reason other than his own pleasure, just makes me pissed off! He'll regret ever crossing me and my sister!" she shouted, raising her rapier into the air. Uni wasn't sure if she should stand or not, so she decided to do so just in case, holding her machine gun into the air like a tool, at best.

Thinking it was a fad to stand and hold your weapon in the air, Neptune did the same. "If Noirey's doing it, so am I! Come on, sis; let's beat up this baddy with the power of Purple Progress!" Neptune shouted, striking her own sword into the air, thinking that a motivational poster should be made in her honor. Nepgear stood up with the same enthusiasm, but was a little bit more hesitant with holding her sword up. This was embarrassing, for some stupid reason.

Mattel looked over at the other confirmed CPU of Gamindustri, who was currently giving the stink eye towards her little sisters, who were fidgeting in their seats out of boredom. "What about you, Lady White Heart?" Mattel asked, not really asking for their agreement, but as everyone was doing it, he just kind of expected it now.

She looked up at him. "Well, Mattel, it all really depends," she said, turning her gaze back over to Ram and Rom, "will you two behave out there? If any of you do anything stupid, you will not have to worry about the monsters getting you out there. Oh no, there will be another creature after you little fu-fuggers, yeah." Blanc saw an image of Mina in her head about to smack her silly, so she had to quickly substitute that swear of hers. No need to horrifically scar her little sisters with that word (will it truly matter? They've been shocked, sprayed with blood from strange creatures, burned and bruised, scared away by some zombies…)

Ram threw a twig into the growing bonfire. "Come on, Blanc, we'll behave! After what that guy did to us, I think we have the right to fight off anything that stands in our way! Isn't that right, Rom?" Ram said. Aw, she could be a little Che Guevar-No, another real person! Can't get banned, readers!

"Phantom hurt Blanc and Ram…I'll never forgive him," Rom muttered, looking…damn, she looks pissed. It is never good to see a little girl look so angry over something so deadly, because when that happens, well, bad things happen. They _always _happen; trust me.

Blanc shrugged, and ordered both of them to stand with her. "I guess that's only fair. You have Lowee's support on this mission. We'll beat the living crap out of this man, even if it means I have to spill my own blood! Gee, I need to get back to Lowee soon, so we have to make this quick," Blanc said, somehow raising her heavy hammer right into the air. The two, little sisters nodded with smirks on their faces, raising their mirroring staffs into the air as well. Nisa soon stood up as well.

"I guess I'll serve as the leader for the regular humans. You already have our support, Mattel, so don't you worry! The Phantom got us once, but he won't get lucky a second time!" Nisa said, with the rest of the humans nodding with determination. After the proclaimed leaders of this party finally sat down, Mattel had a smile on his face; he was having some doubts over how effective this party will be out in the field, but now that they were all showing at least some form of enthusiasm, they might just have the ability to survive out in the harsh wilderness. Who knows; maybe the Anti-Phantom Coalition will finally have the strength to take out the tyrannical rule of the deadly man-cast-in-metal.

"I'm glad that I got your full approvals there. I hope you'll keep this good nature with ya down in the forests. Let me tell you right now that Lan16 has a varied landscape. I'm not counting the east side of Lan16, since it is not necessary, but even there the land is filled to the brink with uniqueness. Most of the land is admittedly forest, but there are plenty of plains and high-lands, along with a major river that begins at SysClo Lake, which is about 8 Kilometers away from here to the west. There are Karsts, plateau's, mesas, and old fallows, along with many other landscapes. However, the best known thing in Lan16 are the HuCard Mountains, which are 55 Kilometers south from here. They are harsh with their horrific climate of thick snow and high winds, killing thousands of travelers every year. It's the home of Lan16's old Basilicom, back when the climate was a lot better, and is now the abode of The Phantom himself. When you're ready, you'll have to somehow traverse through there," Mattel described with a hint of apprehension in his voice. Are the HuCard Mountains the location where he lost his eye? No idea, readers.

"So it's essentially Gamindustri, but packed into one landmass," Cave concluded, looking up towards the sky, her Gatling gun (did she have that in the second game? Who cares, this is much cooler!) resting on her lap. "Tell me, Sir Mattel, but has the atmosphere always been this…orange?" Cave continued to say, or rather ask. Mattel laughed, though it sounded like it was filled with remorse.

"As long as I have been around, yes. I have heard, though, that when The Phantom was at least normal in terms of sanity, the air was just as colorful as Gamindustri appears to be. I have no idea why the air became like it is now, but I'm just assuming that it has something to do with The Phantom in some way. Maybe somebody that works for him, or just him, decided to make this landmass as real as possible, and made something to make the world look all brown, but accidentally made it look orange in the daytime, and purplish during the night hours. I do not know specifically, child," Mattel responded, never really giving it a moment to think it over. The party fell into a trance of deep thought, wondering why that would even be necessary to do in the end. Mattel realized that everyone was taking their time to think of this, and he had to do something quick in order to snap them back into reality.

"L-Let us just move on, okay? All of you are fully healed, correct?" Mattel asked, and everyone nodded in response. Clearing his throat, he said: "Good, keep that system in hand; it might just save your life along the way. Anyways, I should probably go and describe to you exactly what you have to do, capiche?" Mattel finished off. Neptune rose a thumb into the air.

"Lay it on us, Mattel! This mission you're giving us will be a piece of cake! Man, now I'm hungry…" Neptune said, trailing off into the deep, dark, crevices of her mind, only escaping thanks to a heavy smack courtesy of Noire. Mattel took one, last drink from his mug, tossing it onto the ground after seeing that it was now empty.

"Okay, listen up! To start you off on the coalition, we need you to do a relatively simple job. There is an old, abandoned factory that serves as our radio station down near the beach, the one where you must've come from. Some of our men are there to maintain it, but something appears to be jamming it, meaning that we can receive calls from them, but we can't relay information back. They want someone to clear the thing jamming it, and I think that will be the perfect job for all of you's. Besides, it will make them aware of whom you are in the grand scheme of things," Mattel began his explanation, throwing another stick into the fire. "There is also a weapons-smith that is available to make anything you need, as well as an Armor-smith that can help you on your quest. If you can, you can bring them both here!

"Once that radio is fixed, then the real action can begin, as we can notify everyone of what we're about to do. We'll start preparations against the Double Devils, and The Phantom will soon start to lose morale. Yes, that will most certainly happen!" Mattel said, smiling at the plot that was growing deep within his mind. Yet, against the thoughts that were prancing about in his mind, the girls around him gave him the biggest question mark you can ever imagine.

"Sorry to intervene on your happiness, Mattel, but what do you mean by the 'Double Devils'?" Vert asked, still trying to be the leader of the Candidates and Goddesses. Mattel's happy and smug face slowly broke down into a frown, his one eye looking down towards the burning cascade of flame in front of him. Vert instantly rued the second that she just had to ask; she liked it when others were smiling.

"The 'Double Devils' are Phantom's top generals. I heard that at one point, they were all human, but now they are just like the dark man himself; doom to wander inside those infernal machines. They are both considered brilliant scientists, and when they were…normal, they were hailed as the best for their time. But just like The Phantom, they took the long, dark, lonely road towards the starvation of the mind. There are really three devils, but one resides on the east side, so he should be no trouble to either of us, and I also heard that a fourth one existed once, though he has passed away before my time, so I don't know much about him; people say they have nightmares about him doing…something to them, but they might just be over thinking on rumors.

"I hope you never encounter them, but if you do, then I guess it would be wise to tell you about their wicked ways. The first devil, and by far the most prominent, is named The Beastmaster; his real name has been lost, to the point that I highly doubt The Phantom even knows! A long time ago, our monsters were all docile and standard, probably like they were on Gamindustri, but once he got control after we separated from the landmasses, he changed them all. He morphed two creatures together using some sort of twisted science, making them powerful enough to override the circle-of-life. Prey become equal to predators, meaning that everything is balanced, but at the same time causing overpopulation, creating dangerous roads for any person to walk through. His main goal is to replace humans and Goddesses with animals, and if he manages to make them like us, then we are all doomed! I never saw him in person, but I have seen his stead, and it is truly a magnificent beast, a combination of horse, mist dragon, groundhog, and slight polygonal Dog. If you ever see either of them, run!

"The second devil is known as the Angel of Death, or Lady Dpah. She studies the human body and sociology of man, though I guess after her golden age, she has moved on to studying much riskier material. She does deadly experiments that often creates monsters out of people, or simply kills them. You know those zombies that chased you into the town? Yep, she's responsible for them, though I do not know how it occurred. She's responsible for millions of lives, and she commonly kidnaps people out in the forest via unconventional means (_cue IF feeling spooked, as she felt that the vine could be considered an unconventional mean) _in order to run her twisted experiments on them. As long as you stay away from anything that looks suspicious, you should be fine. Her territory is up in the HuCard Mountains, so you won't be encountering her until you go through that land. Still, she is the person that haunts my nights, every night!

"They are a big threat to the people of Lan16, and it is up to us to take them out. If you complete our missions, then we should be able to finish them off with ease. They are both powerful and dangerous, but rumors state that a simple punch is enough to take them out of this world. They only use their horrible disfigurations in order to prevent their untimely destructions, so if you happen to encounter them, try to run first, and if that is unsuccessful, immediately strike them dead by ignoring their distractions. Once they fall, The Phantom will have nothing to protect himself with, as his army will fall into ruin. Thus, he'll have no choice but to accept defeat, and we'll be victorious at last!"

Damn, Mattel won't shut up with his exposition. As he finished, Neptune and the two White Sisters were left utterly confused, steam coming out of their heads after processing too much information at once. The others looked at one another, not really sure as to how to respond to such warnings like that. Two devils were out there, and apparently they had to avoid both of them at all costs; if that's what's been stated, then there you go, but what about boss battles?

"I see. Mattel, I'm glad we have a plan set up, and I think it will work, but…" Blanc began, seeming to be the only one not really thinking about the two devils what's-so-ever.

"Yes?"

"The Phantom has been the leader of Lan16 for some time. I don't know how much any of this will change with the political system, but if he's defeated and force to abdicate the throne, who will be there to take his place?" Blanc continued to ask. Everyone was surprised at this question from a rude CPU like herself, and seeing them all stare at her, Blanc asked: "What? I may look dumb, but I'm pretty sure I know more about politics then Neptune does!"

Mattel was lost in thought for some time, as this question never truly came up to him. "You know what, Lady White Heart? I have no idea, nor did I ever think of it. I guess we could just lose the whole Basilicom system and stay like we are now, with a mayor being the leader, but how would that affect everyone else? The east side would most likely revolt, and the third devil, if he is not beaten by then, would likely cause a rebellion…hm, I guess we need to find a ruler to rule the entirety of the land, eh?" Mattel said, rubbing the back of his head. Neptune's eyes lit up.

"Oh, oh, you should totally be leader, Matty! You're already mayor, and I think you know more of Lan16 then that Phantom-doofus!" Neptune proclaimed, thinking thoughts in her head of Lan16 becoming awesome buddies with Planeptune. Wouldn't that be a treat!

"Ah, thank you for the flattery, child, but I am much too old to run a nation like this! We need someone that is both wise and young at the same time. Hm, maybe one of you regular people would want to consider it? I know I just met you, but you all seem like you have the ability to govern people effectively," Mattel asked, which lead to every maker quickly shaking their heads (Gust gave it some thought, but politely declined). Mattel folded his arms. "Fine, fine, but think it over, all right? Until any of us find a worthy successor to the throne, you are all on the ballot!"

IF was starting to grow impatient, really wanting to begin the search for Lyrica. "Okay, Mattel, what you want us to do is get to this factory to the north, fix the radios and get ourselves known, and immediately return back here?" IF said, hoping that this will get the show on the road. Mattel quickly stretched out his muscles.

"Yes, that's exactly it. For your time here, I suggest knowing how to camp if you find yourselves out in wild at night. Otherwise, Corporatol City is your home, so rest here whenever you get the chance. However, remember that those zombies are out there, and when you hear a bell, get a fire going and surround your party fast! Those beings hate exposed flame, and they'll most likely leave you alone. You _never _want to fight them when there's more than five in a group. The bells ring every six hours, they'll roam for 20 minutes, and when the bells ring again, it will be safe to continue forward. That will save your life, so remember it well!" Mattel told them. IF and the others nodded.

"Okay, then I think we're all set to leave, right?" IF asked, standing up with her belongings in hand. Compa was confused.

"Iffy-poo, what's the rush for?" the doctor asked, though with a gesture from Neptune, Compa made an audible "oh~" before sitting back down. Before IF could move any further, Mattel extended his hand out to stop her. With a giant hand like that, IF smacked into it with a major "omph!"

"Child, I like your eagerness, but do not rush out there without a party. No party, no chance. Not even when you're level 100…ow…what I'm saying is that you need to also take your time out there. You all's are on a time limit, but that doesn't mean to rush about on dangerous footing. It's extremely humid and nasty out there, so rushing can easily spell a heatstroke, you know?" Mattel told the brown-haired girl. IF looked down at the floor and sighed, hesitantly taking her seat once more. With that, Mattel stretched his arms out. "But I guess she is correct in her words. I have told you your mission, as well as all the major dangers. I can tell you more, but I want you all to learn about this land for yourselves. Perhaps you'll learn something out there, children!"

Noire nodded and stood up, Uni following her moves as well. "Okay, Mattel, we'll see what we can do. Hopefully this won't take long," the big tsundere of Lastation said, angry at me for choosing that personal title for her. Mattel laughed, standing up as well…how the hell is he that jacked up? He could probably lift a landmass into the air with those monsters!

Everyone in the group was given a canteen, as the heat out there will grow to the point of literally evaporating water clear out of their bodies if they're not too careful. If they find a river or even that lake Mattel mentioned, they were required to take the water as soon as possible; oddly enough, the lakes and rivers of Lan16 were the most pure compared to Gamindustri and even our plane of existence, which makes me oddly jealous. Other than that, they were told to stay in the shade of the forest, and to limit the sun as much as possible in their expedition. Hopefully, if everything goes their way, they'll reactivate this radio station, get the army moving, and defeat The Phantom by, at the latest, mid-July. Yeah, let's hope for that scenario!

"Noirey, which one of us is gonna call the Oracles? I think this might be important for them to know, ya know?" Neptune asked Lastation's CPU. Noire glared at her for a second, taking a small drink of water that was provided by some random citizen (Who were all taking bets to see who would perish in the group first. Uni was in first, and oddly, Ram was last. Who knew!) .

"Nep, this _is_ important! I don't know, I think Blanc's already talking to Mina, so I guess she's doing it. When we're out there, we'll try calling them. Please, don't say anything stupid to them, and whatever you do, do _not _do anything stupid out there. I already have to keep a watch on Uni, so don't make me overwork myself!" Noire yelled at Planeptune's Goddess. Neptune flinched.

"Aw, why do you got to be so mean, Noirey?"

"Stop calling me that!"

The group now walked towards the front door of the town, ready to either perish out in the heat, or perish by the creatures, or not perish at any point by defeating The Phantom once and for all. Maybe this story will be a cheesy, happy romp as they learn something about themselves that every teenage girl must learn overtime. Either that, or after witnessing some dark scenes already, this will be one dark fanfiction, in which case, I'll feel depressed over having to continue it past its expiration date.

"Are all of you's ready? This is definitely going to be an adventure you will all never forget!" Mattel said, instructing the people who manned the gates to prepare for its opening. Everyone lined up, looking as though they were about to enter the gates of hell; considering the land that they were on, that was probably not that far off at all. Uni looked over at Nepgear, who was fully prepared to help her friends journey and train, though judging by how fast her body was shaking, she was definitely nervous. Uni walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"You okay, Nepgear? Come on, don't tell me you're chickening out!" Uni asked, trying to hide her own fear of walking out into the wilderness of a previously unknown location. Nepgear made a strange yelp, looking at Uni glaring back at her.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine! Sorry, I'm just…a little nervous, that's all," Nepgear stammered as the men manning the gates began to draw them open. Uni chuckled to herself, and Nepgear gave her a puffed cheek. "Hey, stop laughing!"

"Sorry, Nepgear, but hey, if you're really scared, you can just count on me to beat up anything that stands in our way!" Uni said, strangely striking a pose reminiscent of Nisa's own, though it was filled with more sarcasm than what was really needed. Nepgear still puffed her cheek, but she ended up looking at her arms, seeing the cuts that still refused to fully heal, even after the work of Compa's game-play mechanic. For some reason, she had a horrible feeling run down her spine, one that sparked a terrible omen to run about in her young, little mind.

"Uni, I…"

"We're ready, Mattel, baby!" Neptune shouted, being way, too overly excited to go out and fight against disturbing creatures born out of hell. Nepgear began to feel as though she was to blame for the lack of enthusiasm, so she simply closed her mouth and kept her thoughts to herself. Uni thought Nepgear was about to say something, but decided to pass it off as simply hearing things silently in the wind. Nepgear will just have to wait for the right time in order to say what she wanted, which is currently unknown to even me, dear readers.

Mattel was now standing on the side of the doors, laughing out loud as he held his chest. "Good luck out there, Goddesses and humans of Gamindustri! I know you can do it!" Mattel shouted, receiving a thumb up from Neptune; Noire still wondered why Neptune was making friends with all of these bizarre people. With that, the doors were now wide-open, exposing the burnt plains that once held thousands of zombie-like creatures. The house to the left was still smoldering, smoke burning away as the rubble turned into a solid brown; IF was still in a state of disbelief over how she managed to survive that one. Goddammit, where was 5pb.? IF will not rest until she finds out her fate!

With a stride matching a marching band, the group of heroes from Gamindustri began to advance towards the abandoned factory. May we all hope for their safety, dear readers!

* * *

5pb. Phase 3: In Which 5pb. Has to wonder why the hell this is reality to her

5pb. Sat alone in her cell, the same one she was birthed in when she arrived on the east side. She hid her face in her arms as she cried just a little over what the fuck she just had to witness. Out of the 100 starting people, 75 now remained, most acting exactly like her, while others seemed to have fully lost their minds. Her gray jogging-suit was now stained with dirt and blood and grime, looking almost like a heavy-metal wannabe, except with even less of a fashion sense. She wanted to throw up once more, but after doing so many times already, what else was there left to leave her body besides acid? She was completely isolated, with no possible way to contact her friends from Gamindustri. She thought the transceiver and cell-phone she had before were still there, but FPS must've been smart, and removed them before she eventually woke up in hell itself.

The little boy was never coming back, that's for sure. The bucket of blood was still there, now attracting plenty of flies in the process, creating a foul odor that spread about the cell unevenly; it didn't help that the other cells still had the rotten blood, making the place smell like shit, for the lack of a better word. But that still didn't change the fact that 5pb. Blamed herself for that boy's death, knocking the blood down, which apparently was his only source of nutrients, as well as leading him to be killed out in that twisted, sick arena. She kept crying as that boy's face continued to flash itself inside her head. It made her wish that she was the one that had fallen in that battle.

Even as she thought that everything was her fault, she still hoped that IF was A-Okay. Seeing so many wounds being inflicted upon others made her hastily remember IF getting stabbed by that damn vine, to the point that she was bleeding quite heavily. _Please, Iffy, be okay…_ Lyrica thought to herself as she began to cry some more. What if she wasn't okay, and hell, what if absolutely no one was okay; what the flying fuck would she do then? She was lost on this random part of the landmass, having no idea if the rest of her party could even get there, or if she could even attempt to escape; nothing was working out for her. Epica might have been trying to contact her, but her transceiver's somewhere in the world, and she's probably thinking the idol perished, just like how she predicted it. All of these thoughts spooked the idol to no end.

They were probably the reason why she so desperately wanted to hurt the bastards that conduct this terrible show. To kidnap not only people that have no reason to go on killing, but kidnap children and freaking infants to fight to the death was just plain bizarre and horrid. How could anybody get any pleasure from seeing a freaking child get shot in the head, and have his mother follow soon after because the Polygonal Gods are fucked up like that? She wanted to scream at all of those people, tell them off for cheering after seeing that poor kid's brains splatter onto the dirt around them. The image of that poor boy dying after trying to _kill _her played in her head, over and over and over and over-

_Whoever made this show, I…want to freaking hurt you so bad! You deserve to go to hell, you…motherfucker! _Lyrica swore in her head, knowing that the virtual Epica and Iffy in her head would've probably scolded her for saying such a terrible word. Seriously though, do you think she cared anymore? She ended up swearing at both of them in her head! She still hoped both were okay, but she was getting ticked off at them within her mind.

Her throat was growing dry, and her body hoped for something to fill her up, in the hopes that it can stay away from the fate of starvation. Within her personal jail was another bucket, though this time it was filled up with water, though because this place really wanted to spread some bacterial infections, it looked murky, and actually had a centipede-like creature swimming about on the service. She did notice it ever since she got back in here, but she was hoping that she wouldn't have to subject herself to actually drink the putrid life-saver. Unfortunately, her body was performing a mutiny against her brain, and she found herself practically crawling towards the bucket, bringing her hand downwards into the liquid, grabbing a palm-full of the dirty water and forcing it towards her dry mouth.

It tasted exactly like she thought it would: crunchy, bitter, and filled with so many diseases that she might be dead overnight. She coughed up some of it, but forced herself to take more, hoping to quell both her throat and her stomach at the same time; the water was dirty, but disturbingly, it was filling. When she downed around 25 handfuls, the bucket was only half-full (or half-empty to her), with the centipede half gone after her hand somehow chopped half of its body off. She could have found a reason to get sick again, but she didn't feel like it, so she sat back down in her corner, and hid her face once more.

You know, after experiencing all of this, 5pb. has not gone through one of those strange seizure-like moments ever since stepping on this island. Isn't that strange? I assumed that it was just her getting scared over certain things, and going through that whole arena show-like hellhole, wouldn't she have broken down by now? It's really strange that it hasn't…

Spoke too soon.

Lyrica didn't even realize it at first, but she felt her body shake violently, and her eyes rolled up in their sockets, her figure collapsing onto the floor of the cell quickly, a little bit of foam coming out of her mouth as she began to lose focus and barely held onto awareness. If it wasn't for one of the many soldier's at FPS's disposal walking into her cell, Lyrica might've died, or at least might have suffered extreme damage to her body, though being that the author has no idea what the hell causes this, he is only assuming that these things might happen.

"Hey, what the hell? Someone get a doctor! Shit, is she having a seizure?" The soldier shouted, hoping that one of the medically trained soldiers would come to his aid. A man soon ran in, pushing the other soldier aside as he held the idol down, hoping that her muscle spasms can be controlled. If IF was here, she would've solved this whole problem in a matter of seconds, but after the medically-trained soldier diagnosed this as no ordinary seizure, he was at a loss for words. If this girl died right here, then FPS will certainly be pissed at him for eliminating a contestant, forcing the show to have an uneven number of people for its style of twisted games; that will not be good for anybody, now would it?

But as quickly as it came on, Lyrica managed to recover right there. Both soldiers looked at one another as the idol sat back up, scratching the back of her head as she looked over at them. She was clearly confused over what the hell happened, and it was easy to see that she wasn't aware of what she just did. When she finally got her focus back, she just glared at the two. "What do you want?" she sneered at them, trying not to look at them directly; this made the doctor-soldier even more baffled, as he never seen a person who had suffered from any sort of seizure-like symptoms recover this quickly. Just what the hell was wrong with this girl?

"Excuse me, but are you all right…5pb.?" the soldier said after checking the contestant list. 5pb. gave them both a question mark, before just nodding, not changing her expression whatsoever. The soldiers looked at one another. "Okay, just making sure, you know?" the doctor said, before leaving. The other soldier asked him if he was going to tell the idol what happened to her, but the doctor said he was afraid to do so. For now, the idol will be oblivious until it happened again. As long as she was alive, that was all that mattered in the end.

After the doctor finally left, the other soldier resumed what he was meant to do. "Miss 5pb., correct? I just want to say congratulations on surviving the first round! Not many can survive this long into the game, you know? Now that you have survived, please fill out this form, okay?" the soldier asked, handing 5pb. a form attached to a clipboard. From what Lyrica was hearing, the man was clearly younger than most of the soldiers, and if it wasn't for this damn game to stain his reportoire, he might actually be the nicest person in the entire world. Still, since he helped with this tournament of hell, Lyrica immediately hated him. She snatched the form out of his hands, and filled it out with the blue pen that was provided.

It asked some basic questions, like what her real name was (the soldiers were quick to find that 5pb. was not her real name), her profession in life if she had one, where she was born, her hometown, age, and any other information that might be considered interesting. _Since when did I get put back into elementary school? _Lyrica thought as she finished filling the form out, handing the clipboard back to the soldier, saying rather mutely: "here." The soldier was still cautious around her, fearing that brain damage might have ensued from that tirade of disturbance she had just experienced, but if the doctor himself said nothing about it, then he shouldn't say anything about it, either.

"Thank you, miss. I also want to say that, out of the roulette wheel of ours, you are one out 25 people who have been selected as leaders for the mini-groups that will be fighting on this show," the soldier said, bowing to her as though she was a leader of something important. Lyrica still glared at the man, but now her face was filled with perplexion, not fully understanding what the hell he meant. The soldier detected this confusion, and thus deciding to continue on. "Our show is designed on teamwork, and there are 25 teams that hold the 75 contestants. The show keeps going until only one team survives to the end. Since you are the leader of one of these teams, you will be directing two others in the variety of fights that will be happening in the next couple of weeks. If you are the last team alive, you will then fight FPS for your freedom, and let me say it first that no one has ever beaten him. No one has ever escaped this show alive, so I guess we'll just have to see how you end up on this show. All I can say is good luck, and meet your very own team!"

The soldier stepped out of the cell, and motioned his hand to someone outside, making 5pb. both worried and envious to see who these people could possibly be. What if she ends up teaming with people that only want death around them, and would not mind if 5pb. perished? What if the group she gets are children, and can't be controlled during these terrible games? Hell, what if she gets a couple of guys, or even girls, that had enough of this dark hell, and have urges that need to be met? This creeped the idol out, and she seriously wished IF was near. At least with her around, she wouldn't have to worry about others hurting her in any, perverse way.

Two girls walked into the cell, walking in at gun-point as the soldier had to make sure none of them tried to escape prematurely. Once both were in the cell, the soldier was instructed to close the cell door, and thus 5pb. was left with two random girls she had never met in her entire life. They were both punching the door, wanting to get the hell out of this damn place. If Lyrica was up to it, she would've done the same thing.

"Damn, whoi are wez here?" the first girl said. She was rather good looking, having orangish-blonde hair that was in the style of a bobcut. She was as pale as Lyrica was, with her green eyes shining brightly in the dim light. Like Lyrica, she was also dressed in a gray suit, though because of the injuries she suffered during the first round, she had some red streaks growing down her legs and abdomen. She was smaller than 5pb., though she appeared to be more muscular than she was.

The other girl shook her head. "Damn this world and this game! This is not how you treat royalty! Do those fools not know who I am?" the other girl said, pounding on the door once more. She had longer, white hair, though it was completely messy, to the point that not many know if she just had dirty hair, or if it was some sort of psuedo-fashion sense. Her eyes were droopy, though not in the typical moe-style, as they were also as piercing as a tsundere's. Her skin was a dark tan, her blue eyes playing a huge contradictory statement to the rest of her, with her muscular complexion roughly being the same as Lyrica's. Even though she had on that same suit (she managed to avoid any damage during that first round), she still managed to hold onto some expensive jewelry, all looking high-class, making Lyrica wonder if she really was a royal person before this all happened.

It didn't take long for both of them to finally notice the idol that was crouched on the floor nearby. "Oi! Whois is you? Bluw hair? That's bizzoire!" the first girl said. The second girl simply laughed to herself, sounding like a bitch to me, all right?

"Great, a woman who can't even speak the right language correctly, and a girl that seems more emotionally broken then should be necessary. This is _not_ the way you treat the Princess of ForeheadBook!" the second girl laughed and yelled at the same time, still trying to get the door to open, while the rest of the people in the other cages glared at her, probably thinking that she will be the next to go in the next round.

Lyrica sighed, knowing that at least her party didn't seem completely insane; it was just one foreigner who had no idea what was going on, and the other…was just a bitchy princess. Are there really only, like, two flavors a princess could come in; the sweet and innocent one, and the bitch? I mean, is there no middle ground?

"Um, hello. I'm…5pb., and I…"

"Gah, how dare you! You do not address me in that manner! Why aren't you kneeling down?" the second girl yelled, making the first girl do as she was told. Lyrica was slowly growing even more pissed off then originally, but she had to hold her feelings back.

"I'm sorry, but right now, I'm technically leader of this group, for really no reason. I think if we just act like friends instead of higher-ups and lower-people, we might be able to work together and…"

"Shut your mouth! You are surely not an amble-leader! I do not care what those dumb soldiers believe; you are not a leader in my eyes! My buffoon of a sister is more of a leader then you, and she…"

"Okay, shut your fucking mouth before I have to fucking kill you! Jeez, just shut up! I'm the leader, and I think I have the authority to just kill you right now, if I had the freaking chance!" Lyrica snapped at the Princess of ForeheadBook. She couldn't believe she actually did it, but she actually felt good after releasing all of that pent-up anger from her body; man, she felt like she was the Queen of the world! The Princess backed off, glaring at the bluenette as she looked the other way, not wanting to make eye-contact with a girl that was truly not worthy of the leadership role. Lyrica shook her head. _This is going to be tough, isn't it?_

"Okay, listen. My name is 5pb., and for some twisted reason, I am now your leader. I guess I'm responsible for all of you, so don't let me down, okay?" she looked back at the Princess, who resumed pounding on the door, giving Lyrica a horrible headache. "Let's introduce ourselves, okay? Princess, what's your real name? Please just answer the question!"

The Princess stopped what she was doing and looked at 5pb. It was clear that she hurt her fists, and she was really angry over it. "Fine, if you really are our leader, then I guess you must know my name. I am Zyng, Princess of the royal family of Zukusburg and ForeheadBook, and I demand to be treated with respect! I tried to sail to Gamindustri in order to conquer it and build up our empire, but unfortunately I wound up here. I guess Gamindustri's citizens are beyond rude and only care for death and destruction, and not casual fun," Zyng said, folding her arms as a puff cheek was made. Lyrica shook her head again, knowing that this woman was definitely going to be difficult to work with. Hopefully it will not spell the end for anyone in this party; that will certainly suck.

Lyrica turned her attention towards the first girl in the room, who was hiding her own face in fear of Zyng, feeling as though she had authority to do whatever she so-desired. "What's your name, stranger? It's okay, you don't have to be scared," Lyrica tried to sound reassuring. The girl looked up at her, tears falling out of her eyes, but she did stand up, shaking out of fear of what these people might do to a pretty girl like her.

"I-I'm Quantic. I iz from fair off loind. I camer to Gamindustree in ordey to find a bettoi chance at loife. This is noit whait I hade in moind!" Quantic said in an accent Lyrica could barely decipher. This tone of her voice made Zyng laugh out loud, making Quantic feel worse off, making her crouch down as well. Zyng soon looked at Lyrica some more.

"What's your story, then? I can't say I have seen a blue-haired woman before!" Zyng said with a sarcastic quip, as though she wanted to demoralize her now-leader. Lyrica could feel another break within her about to occur, but still managed to hold it off with the best of her ability.

"Like I said, I'm 5pb., an idol from Gamindustri. I'm good at guitar, and have actually saved the world numerous times from evil groups like ASIC, if any of you heard of that. Another enemy appeared on this landmass, but before I could do anything, I was kidnapped by a vine and placed here," Lyrica said to the two of them. Quantic seemed to believe her, as her face lit up for seeing a real-life celebrity, but Zyng was definitely not buying it for one second.

"If you say so, whelch. If anyone needs me, I'm taking a nap at this corner of the room, so do not bother me unless those soldiers return. Capiche? Capiche," Zyng said, staying true to her word as she collapsed onto the floor of the cell, starting to snore almost immediately. Quantic and 5pb. looked at her, shaking their heads in disbelief.

_This is so not going to end well…_5pb. thought to herself.

* * *

**Histoire's Relations with The Phantom?**

Did the famed Planeptune Oracle ever interact with the dark man himself?

It was finally the moment. Today was the fateful day where Ghost meets Histoire for the first time.

The autumn air was definitely mesmerizing, as the leaves all around Lan16 began to change their colors, ready to fall off of their branches and down to the ground below. It was a time of depression, though many were able to find happiness within the cool wind that blew periodically. Pumpkins grew as a last resort for the harvest season, and the clouds above Gamindustri were struck within an impetual gray, as rain was always threatening the world, though it usually never occurred. The fall season was the time when Supendo surrendered during the Second Polygonal War, making it a sort of holy season, and the people were basking in its untimely glory.

Peter was busy working this fateful day, trying to understand why bumper fractures were growing immensely over the past couple of weeks. It has been some time since Ghost started to act all strange, but recently he had started to go back to his original personality, which helped ease Peter by a great deal. He still wrote to his mother every week (if he had the chance), always informing her of advances he had made, which seemed to occur almost daily. There was a huge outbreak of melanoma that occurred during the last week of summer, and he, along with Ghost, manage to quell it; who would've thought that an up-and-coming college graduate could be this successful in under a short period of time?

As the wind blew by Ghost Enterprises, bringing along dozens of dead leaves in the process, Ghost arrived at the front door, carrying a rather hefty box with him as he stumbled on in. Peter greeted him like he normally did; helping his master with whatever the hell he managed to get today. "Sir," Peter began, "what's inside the box today?"

Ever since Ghost started dilly-dallying in alchemy, he began to go on research in the great outdoors, always coming back with ingredients that can be used for future studies. It was a strange thing to see him do this, as he still proclaimed alchemy was "child's play," and yet he still praised those that have come before him for doing such plays. It baffled Peter, but since the company was doing extremely well with medicine and healing, he found no reason to complain. Hey, it is actually good that Ghost has decided to expand his horizons. This is what Peter believed Neptunian said to Ghost during that party at Lan16's Basilicom, before he announced his retirement from the scientific community: if Ghost wanted to be even more successful, he had to expand his horizons just a little bit. However, Peter still did not know if Greggorious was even there, so it was simply a theory on his part.

Ghost looked over at him with elated eyes. "Dear Pete, I have found exactly what I've been looking for! I have found the rare-and-precious jumipero pepper, which can be used to clear out the deadly influenza virus just like that! We might finally have the ability to quell that blasted disease once and for all!" Ghost shouted with glee, holding the oddly-colored pepper up for Peter to see. Indeed, the pepper was the rarest in the land, and only Ghost has been able to discover its properties being deadly towards the deadly influenze virus. Perhaps they truly did have a shot at winning after all! "I tell ya, kid, that blue light guided me to this great discovery! Now, we can get to work!"

"Sir, this is great! If we cure the flu, we might be able to fully rid of all diseases in no time! I can't believe that this might actually be happening!" Peter said, raising a fist into the air. Ghost clapped his hands with delight, pulling out a small notebook from his pants-pocket.

"Ay, but don't go believing that we fully conquered this terrifying beast! Diseases have been known to mutate over-time, so we must be on our guard! Once we see this flu change its genome once again, then we shall continue to strike until it is no more!" Ghost proclaimed, writing some quick notes down in his personal notebook. Peter nodded, knowing that he shouldn't get too ahead of himself, or else he might grow weary of any future changes. Still, this product with the chance of healing the world even more was beyond exciting and beautiful; Ghost's dream was slowly coming true!

"My lord, what will Lady Turbo say when she hears of this discovery, Ghost? Ah, she will be most pleased, I can tell you that much!" Peter said with excitement. These words actually made Ghost turn away, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, making Peter laugh to himself. "Sir, I do not believe you have ever told me if you are…smitten with Lady Turbo. Come on now, spill the beans!" Peter teased Ghost, who now looked furious at him. However, being the gentle soul that he was, he immediately began to look so flustered.

"I-I just respect her, that's all! I simply believe that she is a beautiful woman, and is home to many a talent. There _is certainly_ no romantic connection between me and her, nor will there ever be! Besides, if there was, how could I ever be with her, being the simple citizen that I am?" Ghost stammered out, forcibly trying to protect his dignity as best as he could. Even for youngsters like Peter, it was easy to tell how much of a fool Ghost looked right about now, which made Peter laugh even harder.

"Come now, sir, do you really think that I would-"

A loud knocking was heard at the front door, and both Pete and Ghost looked at one another, before the knocking became more prominent. Without so much as a second thought, Peter ran towards the door, hoping to see through the peep-hole who could've been knocking so vigorously. "Please open the door! We have a wounded out here!" a man shouted. Ghost and Peter looked at one another with eyes wide open, and Peter didn't hesitate when he opened the door.

In came a couple of soldiers, adorned in Planeptune colors, along with an injured cat, who looked as though it was completely flattened, with mild blood flooding down its body. It was a sickening sight, but Peter still led them all towards an infirmary room, hoping that Ghost will be able to diagnose whatever was wrong with any of these people. "Please, you must help us. I beg of you!" one of the soldiers proclaimed to Ghost, who was in a state of shock at seeing Planeptune people standing before him, could only just try to think.

"Um, okay, um…sorry, this is completely out of the blue. Which one of you gentlemen require my aid?" Ghost asked, not seeing anything particularly wrong with either soldier standing before him. It was then that one of the soldiers placed the dying cat onto the table next to Ghost, making the man himself look completely shocked. "T-The cat's the injured one?" Ghost stammered, not liking where this was going. The soldiers nodded, and one of them took out this rather spiffy book. Peter and Ghost had no idea why he did that at first, but once he opened it up, they found out why.

The book produced this extremely small-looking human, who had blonde hair (tied into a pony-tail, as was the fashion statement during this particular time-period) and bright, blue eyes. She wore a customary dress that was common in Planeptune, which was purple with blue highlights. She wore a long skirt that obscured her legs entirely, though they were essentially stubs in comparison to an average human. Needless to say, Ghost and Peter were shocked by this strange person, never knowing that a person can grow to that size and simply stop. Heh, she was smaller than the common infant!

When she spoke, it sounded oddly apologetic. "Please, I know not many doctors heal animals, but I have heard stories that you are a man of wonders. Please, may you try and help this poor creature stay alive? One of the automobiles outside near this place hit him, and I'm afraid it might already be too late!" she said, starting to cry as she looked at the helpless animal beg for some form of help. Ghost didn't know exactly what to do, for this was completely out of his league. You see, dear readers, fixing the lives of humans have always been the top priority of all doctors, and it will be until the end of time, but when it came to animal injuries and disease, they were left behind in the dust. Science and medicine hasn't moved far enough to accommodate them in the field of vision, so when Ghost saw this poor, helpless creature, he already knew that it was a goner.

But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"I understand. Peter and I will see what can be done. May I ask that you all leave the room and wait in the lobby?" Ghost asked, receiving a nod from the book-girl and the various soldiers. Peter directed them to towards the lobby, and once that was done, he immediately ran back into the room, concerned over what in the world they could possibly do.

"Ghost, what can we do? This isn't a human, but a cat! This isn't in our field!" Peter said, knowing that he wanted to help this poor creature, though also knowing that it was a lost cause. Ghost was lost in thought, banging his head with his fist. This was certainly not the ideal situation.

"Okay, no matter what, Peter, we must see what we can do. Maybe this will help us pave the way for better animal treatment! I hope," Ghost said lackluster, his eyes now focused on the dying cat. The car indeed took its toll on him, as his whole abdomen was busted up and flat, with many of the internal organs visible to the naked eye. The cat was still alive and awake, but it was barely holding onto life. If they didn't act soon, he was surely a goner. "Okay, Pete, we need to focus here! Get the tools out of the cabinet over there, and let's see what can be done!"

Both of them worked vigorously for over an hour, trying to repair the muscles within the cat, as well as fix the broken tissue that became fractured when the car hit him. While this was the easy part, cat's are definitely more fragile than that of a human, and because of this, they had to move slow towards its way to recovery. After fighting for a straight hour, never even so much as looking anywhere but the exposed abdomen of the cat, they ended up, sadly, failing the cat, and it soon left this planet as the two doctors tried in vain to sew him back up.

It was heart-wrenching, and while both men knew it was coming, it still hurt to think of the loss as entirely their fault, and in a way, it was. It was the entire doctoring community's fault, as no one has ever tried to study how to heal simple animals like this poor, unfortunate creature. Ghost ended up calling the time at 10:10 PM, and sadly covered the carcass with a nearby blanket. Both of them soon walked out, and the girl-in-the-book flew over to them.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but the cat has unfortunately passed away. We have tried everything we could, but it was not enough. His muscles and bones were too crushed, meaning even if it was possible to save him, he would live a horrible life. At least he is able to rest in peace now," Ghost said, holding his fedora in his hands as he looked on in disappointment. The girl-in-the-book looked down to the floor, a couple of mini tears falling and staining the floor below. A couple of soldiers ran to her aid, but she shrugged them off, choosing to float there on her own. When she looked up again, however, she was actually smiling.

"I see. Thank you for trying to save his life. I know no one has ever successfully treated an animal before, but you were the only ones that managed to help one out. I wish one day this field can expand," the girl said, looking a little bit better, though you could tell that she had pain within her eyes. Ghost and Pete nodded, still feeling at fault about all of this.

"I wish we could have done more, my lady," Peter started to say, now looking at his master, "but we will try to strengthen this field, now that we had at least some experience with it. I wish we could say good-bye on better terms, but maybe this is a sign for better things to come!" With that being said, the girl smiled. She at least felt some relief in the fact that the cat has finally found some peace in its life; she just wished it was found at a better place than this.

"I suppose I must pay for the expenses due."

"Oh no, please. This one was for free, my lady," Ghost said out of nowhere, making both the girl and Pete look at him with surprise. The girl said she would, but Ghost denied it again, saying that this was more of a research project, and thus he didn't want to bother her with payments. Peter was, of course, confused by this, for Ghost never down-right unaccepted payments in general; he would act guilty at first, but he would always accept after a little bit. Peter assumed that he was still baffled by the size of the girl, and was thinking it was strange to bill someone that might've been very young. Yet, on the contrary, Pete also believed that Ghost was afraid of the soldiers, and that billing the girl with a cost they deemed too high would start the end of his life. It was a mystery to him, and it will always be a mystery to him.

"I see. I guess I should introduce myself, seeing as how I am grateful for your help. I am Histoire, Planeptune's Oracle. I was just visiting Lan16 because of the color-change in the leaves. They are always more beautiful here than the other landmasses," Histoire said with a smile. Both Ghost and Pete jumped back in surprise.

"The Oracle of Planeptune? It has been a pleasure to meet you!" Peter said, shaking her tiny little hand (he made sure to do it very carefully). She giggled at their sudden aloofness, though she still kept that semi-serious stature.

"I am eternally grateful for what you have attempted to do tonight, and while it was sadly unsuccessful in the end, I will still recommend many to visit you in due time. You are both living up to the rumors-"

"Madam Histoire, Lady Plutia has just called. She needs us back in Planeptune, pronto! Apparently a share-related problem is occurring!" one of the soldiers said. Histoire frowned, but she nodded to them.

"I'm sorry that this was the way that we had to meet, but I hope we meet again in the future. Please, take care now!" Histoire said, before she was closed again and carried off by the soldiers once more. Once the door closed, Peter jumped for joy, not believing for a second that what he had just seen was real. He couldn't believe that Histoire was actually in this office, and she was proud of both of them! This was a dream come true!

"Ghost, can you believe it? It was Histoire herself, in the flesh! Ghost?" Pete said, before realizing that Ghost wasn't around. Looking about the foyer, he went down the hallway and saw that his door was closed tightly. Peter looked through the key-hole in the door, and saw Ghost slamming the desk in rage, throwing objects across the room like a madman.

"Idiot! Why did you…Gah, I can't believe this…Damn it all…"

That was all that Peter Managed to pick up through the multitude of objects being destroyed around him.

_Master, what has gotten into you?_

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 48, para 2:_

"…I do not like to say it, but it might have been better for the world if we never, ever tried to help animals. Ever since that day, I believe all of those under my care went completely insane in the process…"


	21. PART 4: The Master and the Bandits

Chapter 27: In which our lovely cast experience the pains of the heated forest

"Sis, we there yet?"

"Oh, here we go!"

Blanc and Ram were at it again; it was only natural that a growing child such as herself asked so many questions out of sheer curiosity, but Blanc was seriously not enjoying it one bit. It was like, every damn minute; a question came out of Ram's mouth, always directed at the CPU of Lowee. They've only covered perhaps a quarter of a mile, and already Blanc was ready to snap. Her little sisters were the exact reason why she hated the thought of traveling, always bugging her while she only asked for some peace and quiet. Sure, she was their caretaker while on this landmass, but she was seriously not caring over what the virtual Mina was saying within her head, for she was ready to slam that hammer down upon their puny, little heads. Rom was quiet, but it always seemed that Ram was just talking for her, so Blanc would probably punish both of them equally, even if they didn't deserve it.

"Sis, are we there yet?" Ram insisted now, pouting as she looked around at the mighty trees that hanged above her, not a single creature in sight, regardless of what Mattel told them back in Corporatol City. Blanc was ready to do it. She took a hard grip of her hammer, ready to freak out on every living thing, even if it meant everyone would die.

"Ram, I am only going to say this once," Blanc began, grunting as she suddenly took a stop in her steps. Ram was listening intently, not sure what Blanc was going to say. "I love you as a sister, I really do, but if you do not shut your mouth at this second, I will personally give you a freaking lock-jaw!" she yelled with a fist raised into the air. Ram and Rom yelped, holding onto one another, making the other CPU's and Candidates roll their eyes or look away in embarrassment.

"O-Okay, you don't have to get all mean!" Ram said, pouting as she looked to the ground, mumbling to herself as Blanc felt triumphant for once. She was glad that some peace could be found on this reckless island, though unbeknownst to every other soul on this island, Blanc was actually extremely worried about her sisters. Sure, it was her sole duty to protect them, so of course, she should feel worried for their safety, but she still felt as though they were already hurt too much. She saw them getting horrendously electrocuted and burnt as a result, crying and feeling ready to kick The Phantom's patooey, but that was not the thing that scared her. No, Blanc was worried over the fact that none of the two sisters appeared fazed about 5pb.'s death; shouldn't they have broken down, or be extremely quiet out of grief? Blanc thought that was only natural, and yet her own sisters didn't seem to do anything to signify grief. Either they're as stoic as her, or they were hiding their real feelings. Blanc just hoped they were the first option, but as they walked on, she kept batting an eye towards them, just to make sure.

"Sis, we there yet?"

"Oh, _du verdammtes arschloch_!" Blanc yelled, saving herself by using gratuitious German, even if she had no idea what a "Germany" was (Neptune would ask if it tasted good).

The group couldn't help but laugh as they continued to walk through the thick jungle of Lan16. They walked through the field of burnt carcasses (Again, no comment from either Ram or Rom), and straight into the forest on the left, where Mattel made a last minute remark about the location of this said factory. When they walked by the area where perished, Neptune and Compa blocked IF's eyes, seeing as how they were beginning to water once more. Once Corporatol City was not noticeable through the thicket, they simply refused to turn back, only focusing on getting their job accomplished. They still wanted to call reinforcements to make this so much easier, but there was no telling if The Phantom would do anything rash; the transceivers were right in their pockets, but the thought will have to be held off for now.

Everyone thought that the thicket would provide some protection from the intense heat, but they had to have realized that there was no logic within Lan16, at least in regards to weather. While in the heavy shade brought in from the skyscraping trees, with their boughs of glory filled to the brim with leaves, they have all experienced probably even a worse climate then if they were simply exposed to the harsh sun above, which was starting to set a little bit after they have disembarked. The sun barely made it through the leaves, rendering their path extremely dark and dangerous, as there was no telling what could possibly be out in front of them at any given moment. All they could tell was that there were thousands of trees, exotic fauna that grew to the size of Gust, poisonous or not, and that the road they were following down was neither brick nor gold, but just some dirt hastily carved into a path. Without a light, it was extremely easy to get lost out in the wilderness, and equally easy to get extremely paranoid about everything around you. Thankfully, Noire and Vert brought with them heavy sticks with fire burning at the tip, though this still had not helped them elevate a certain feeling of dread as they walked through the darkest night of day.

Nisa lagged behind the group, choosing herself to be the one who would make sure nothing was trying to sneak up upon her or anyone else. As her being the figure of justice among the group, she had to make sure that absolutely no one was harmed while on this adventure; she already failed back at Lan16's Basilicom, but she swore to the bottom of her heart, that she will never have that occur to her ever again. Whelps and the rest of the squad back home were all praying for her safe return, as well as her saving the entire world before the bastard decides to eradicate Gamindustri as a whole. She will never forgive him for doing that horrendous act to her friends, so when she does arrive at that Basilicom sometime soon, she will not hesitate to break his fucking neck!

As she had many scenario's play within her head, her eyes looked at Gust, who was currently holding her staff defensively, not really keen on the whole "walk-through-the-dark" thing. She still felt bad for allowing The Phantom to get a free shot on her; why couldn't she protect Gust in her time of need? Was there absolutely no way to patch up their problems and become friends once more? From here on out, Nisa felt that Gust had the right to fully hate her to the point of wanting her to die. Nisa grimaced at that thought, but she felt Gust was disappointed in her. _I didn't mean it back then, Gust! It was the only way to protect you, you know. If I didn't do what I had to do, we might've both been goners_!

Gust turned her head to look at Nisa through the dark. Nisa saw that she was staring, and immediately turned away, looking to the other side of the forest as she whistled that "Dust in the Breeze" song IF wrote a little bit ago. "Is something wrong, Nisa? Gust finds you scary when you stare," Gust voiced her opinion, making Nisa flinch and rub the back of her head.

"What? Nah, nothing's wrong! J-Just making sure you have no injuries that need to be addressed! It is a heroine's duty to make sure that none of her comrades are in any pain!" Nisa proclaimed with a slight bit of exaggeration in her tone, her left fist patting against her chest. Sweat from both the heat and the spotlight-on-her was prevalent now, and Gust just kind of looked at her.

"Yeah…comrades…" Gust said with a pout, before quickly turning her head to face forward once more. Nisa found that she didn't have to do this charade anymore, so she immediately stopped, feeling guilty at the reaction Gust gave her. It looked like this feud will keep going on for a couple of more chapters, possibly even 10 more.

The farther the group got through the forest, the denser the climate got. It suddenly became almost unbearable to even continue walking down the path; hell, what if the path they were travelling on was not leading them towards the abandoned factory in any way? Anywho, the temperature rose with every step, and just as Neptune accidentally walked into this gigantic tree that growled (strangely, no one commented on it), the group discovered another gimmick of this damn story.

"Damn, I just got hungry. Hey, Compa, carrying any sandwiches or something in that baggy of yours?" Neptune asked, rubbing her head as stars orbited around her field of vision. Compa saw through the heavy darkness the presence of saliva dripping down Neptune's chin, and she quickly hid her bag to the side of her; it only carried some medical supplies and not food, but she still made sure Neptune couldn't grab it, for if these materials got spread about on the ground, not only will they be heavily contaminated, but they will be almost impossible to find in the thick a pout but coupled with a sincere voice, she said to Neptune:

"Nep-Nep, I didn't carry any food with me! I can only carry medical equipment, in case something happens to us. You didn't bring any food with you at all?"

Nep made a sheepish smile and shrugged, a sweatdrop covering her already sweaty hair, Compa sighed, and looked over at the rest of the party, who were mostly lighted by the flame from Vert's makeshift-torch. "Did any of you bring any food? Please tell me you got somewhat prepared for this!" Compa asked, scared over the thought that none of them brought anything to keep them all nourished in this time of heat and misery and overbearing stress. Sadly, her fears were simply going to come true, and let me tell you, it is not pretty to see Compa scared.

"Well, Compa, we kind of can't," Noire said, rubbing the back of her neck as the rapier attached to her backside wobbled back and forth, "We don't really have anything that can carry anything other than our weapons and armor. Hell, I'll be honest, I thought we'll be over and done with this mission before I got hungry, but I'm in the same boat with Neptune here. Man, didn't we just have breakfast like, an hour ago?" When Noire finished, a sudden wave of realization swept through the entire group, as each one finally felt the sudden ping of hunger growing within their systems. How can they all be hungry this early into their adventure?

Compa sighed. "Compa, what's wrong? Man, how can I be as hungry as Neptune? This is embarrassing…" IF said with a facepalm, making Neptune somewhat excited for absolutely no reason, as IF directed it as more of an insult (Neptune was terribly bad at catching them, isn't she?). Compa adjusted her gigantic syringe, making some form of liquid from the tip leak out (damn, Freud _was _right), making the ground below burn with steam coming out. Everyone kept their distance away from Compa for a little bit.

"What I learn in doctoring school is that heat can induce hunger due to excessive sweating, along with the stress caused by it. Your bodies are definitely not adjusted to this weather yet, so your bodies are trying to make itself good for the climate, you know, but this hurts you for quite some time. Because of this, we might need something to at least nibble on. I blame our armor for creating more heat than is really there, but we can't really do anything about…Nep-Nep, don't take your clothes off! That can be bad, too!"

Neptune was in the middle of taking her hoodie dress off, but Noire managed to knock some sense into her, making the Purple-haired Goddess blush considerably and make an odd noise that sounded like a sick chuckle. "Hey, you say you blame our clothes for making us all feel hungry and stressed and whatnot, so why don't we just take it all off? We can defeat The Phantom and his evil devil-friends with the power of archetypal-moe-harem-fanservice!"Neptune cheered, making the others blush as well. Even in this intense heat, they still had the right amount of energy to feel extremely bashful and quite protective of their modesty. Noire slapped Neptune again, making even Nepgear flinch.

"How will that work for us, anyways? We need protection, so we'll just have to grin-and-bear it. Besides, let's try to avoid as much fanservice as possible. I've already had enough of this damn place," Noire said, still feeling the scarring all about her body piercing her nerves. She was never this hurt back home, unless a gamer counts the conquest ending, in which case this universe does not follow that path, so it looks like that platinum trophy will just have to wait. Neptune sighed, perhaps her energy falling behind as her bubbly personality succumbed to the intense heat of the landmass. Still, that did not stop her from cracking out one more, slightly suggestive comment that made many question her method of thinking.

"Fine, I guess you're right, Noirey. Still, he already shocked us, not even killing us at all…maybe we'll win him with the super-power fan service of ryona!" Neptune cheered one more time, before Noire gave her another courtesy slap on the back of the head. Strangely, Uni blushed rather disturbingly, making her gaze aim towards the dirty path, making Nepgear jump. Little Miss Uni, what are hiding deep within your mind? You sure are one, kinky…

I received a courtesy slap from my editor over not following my "less-fanservice" policy as the group begrudgingly decided to move forward, wondering what they could possibly do about the hunger issue. Their energy bar was quickly diminishing, and while the game involving the snakes that have to be eaten or something had the character go slower and make themselves more visible when it was down to zero, this game will simply _kill_ whoever is the main character at the moment. Listen to this, gamers; always feed your moe's, or else they'll die, and we'll zoom in on their strained faces as the term "Game Over" shines, just so we can make fun of you. We here in my imaginary company feed on your nightmares and sadness. Ha ha…but now back to the plot.

As they began to move up in the forest, Cave randomly said "stop," and she forced everyone to crouch down, hiding behind the thicket as she stepped in front of everyone. No one was quite sure over why Cave made them do this, but when they heard the sudden shift out towards the trees about a quarter-mile away, they suddenly knew. Up until now, besides the one caw from a random bird, the wilderness was simply mute, and made the girls wonder if any life, minus the biennials, even existed in this portion of the landmass. When the noise first made its appearance, it was but a simple rustle, and could have fooled the girls into thinking that it was just the wind blowing against some grass and bush, but once it occurred in a tumultuous manner, the girls all knew what it was. To state it in the simplest terms, it was _huge_, and it was heading straight towards them.

"Everyone, stand back," Cave whispered to the group, and while many of the Goddesses were quite hesitant with leaving her on the frontline, Cave was rather pissed off right now, so they simply complied. For a while, everything around the rustling grew completely still, as though the wind decided to simply watch the girls, and see how visibly disturbing this scene can truly become. Cave, in a strange matter of instant, pulled out a rather, eh, huge Gatling-Gun, and even though the design made it look like the strongest thing ever created by titanium alone, Cave held the gun like it was nothing, revving the gun until it was just ready to burst out a stream of deadly rain, which can burn down anything that stands in its way, holding the trigger as though her life depended on it. The others remained prepared, holding their weapons in anticipation as the rustling grew even closer, starting to grow in a state of temerity. No matter what was coming towards them, it will certainly be a rather painful experience for all of them.

As Cave tried to hold her breath in order to make her shots shoot as straight as humanly possible, the simplistic rustling grew into a sudden onslaught of panting and slobbering, and soon a deadly-sounding roar filled the air of the mini-forest. This caused thousands of birds that the girls were unaware of fly off towards the sky; even a colorful snake brushed passed Compa's ankles, making her almost shriek, before IF slammed her palm into her mouth. Yet, even with all of this commotion, the forest was still completely silent, sans for the heavy roars from whatever this mysterious creature was. Cave had to take a few, deep breaths, knowing that she will not let her fear conquer her being; one, minute sense of fear can spell the end of not only hers, but all of her friends' lives. After her third gulp of air, she held her breath once more, the gun aimed straight towards a small clearing in the brush. She prayed to herself the national prayer of Leanbox:

"There is only hope within the foundations of our Goddess, and our Goddess gives us the virtue of freedom and prosperity. We will fight with our lives for our Goddess, for Celestia, and for Peace, if it means our nation can survive into the future. Lord, I pray to thee and my people; you listen to us with a knowledgeable ear, and help us all in our time of crisis. I lay thy life before you, my dear, loving Goddess!"

With that, a thick shadow apparated from the shadows, and what had to be the biggest rhino came charging at them, roaring with a mouth that had the largest teeth anyone could produce; even more disturbing, they were laid out just as how a shark's would, with multiple rows going down the top part of its inner-jaw. Its body was massive, covered in sandpaper-like armor that was divided in three parts, spread about its form, which was probably the size of three gusts lying on the ground, with 2.5 Gust's standing on top of one another indicating its massive height. It was like a mini-elephant in a way, though very ferocious, and it was indeed faster than an elephant, even one that was stampeding. It was like a lion as it ran, with its gait filled with galloping like a horse, with its eyes, filled with life even if they were both black as sin, staring down at the group like a snake sneaking up on its prey. You know what, readers? It even had folded wings attached to its sides, looking like that of an eagle, though how such a creature can obtain flight is beyond any of us humans. Just what type of creature was this?

Still, it was charging, and it was fast, being next to a far-off tree at one second, and about one foot from the barrels of the Gatling-Gun the next second. Cave didn't hesitate, as the bullets screamed out of the barrels, flailing about in the stagnant air like rain, piercing the mighty, majestic creature multiple times. It probably was the fourth bullet that hit its head that finally done it in, as the life from its eyes faded away quickly, and its legs gave in. However, this has not stopped the creature in its trek, as it ended up collapsing on top of Cave, forcing her down under its massive weight, her gun being thrown off towards the brush off in the corner. After this minute of chaos finally ended, the noise suddenly appeared like a wildfire, with birds singing their tunes and the various critters chirping their way through the darkness of fault.

"Cave! Cave, are you all right?" Vert suddenly yelled, being the first in the group to go towards the corpse of the fallen rhino-like beast. Nisa and IF followed quickly behind, looking for any sign of the maid of Leanbox. All three of them tried to lift the beast up, but damn, that thing had to have weighed 30 tons, possibly even more! How could anyone have the ability to lift such a heavy beast…

Oh yeah, Blanc was known for that. The Lowee CPU told the three of the lot to move away from the creature, and knowing the chaos that Blanc can cause, Vert made IF and Nisa stand as far away as possible. Once Blanc knew they were far enough, Blanc squatted next to the monster, placed her hands underneath its mighty frame, took a deep breath, and flipped the monster as though it was nothing but paper. Her palms were now covered in blood, though it wasn't as bad as Cave, who was nearly completely red, her body forcing her to cough as many of it up as possible. Vert didn't mind getting her battle-armor-style dress dirty, quickly kneeling next to her fellow citizen of Leanbox.

"Cave, speak to me! Oh no, I…I'm so sorry, Cave," Vert said, not believing that she actually allowed one of her own be killed in such a heinous state. She felt as though the coughs made by Cave were the final breaths exiting her body; how could this possibly happen? Captain U.S. Les, 5pb., and now…no, it just can't be real? It made Vert cry like a little child.

"My lady…I'm okay. This isn't my blood, if that's what you happen to be thinking," Cave said rather deadpan, simply staring at Vert with huge, bright eyes that deeply contrasted from the carmine blood that covered her face. This made Vert look down at her, and she quickly sucked up the tears in her eyes, gulping whatever air she had within her throat; even though the scene was still in the serious boat, it wasn't possible to help Nepgear and Uni laugh at such a hilarious sight.

"Oh, um…of course. Are you…okay?" Vert asked, still concerned over her friend's well-being. Even though Cave claimed that she was indeed okay, being crushed under a massive creature was certainly something that was impossible to escape unscathed, though reports can occur. The others felt rather sick after looking at the blood emanating from the creature's head, which nearly blanketed the underbelly of the beast, with bits of skull and brain leaking out of the exposed eye-socket that was shot by one of Cave's bullets. This made Ram and Rom hold their mouths as they tried to hold in their puke, which made Blanc strangely relieved; at least they reacted somewhat at this scene. The dead body even made the stoic Blanc want to puke, even more so than after trying to transform back in that Basilicom.

Cave tried to stand, but a pain in her chest forced her to hold herself down. "Cave, what's wrong?" Compa quickly asked, investigating the now-exposed belly of Cave, which did indeed have a small mark. Cave tried to make a signal that she was okay, but the pain in her chest grew even more profound, forcing her to not even have the ability to do that. Crumbling down to the cold, dirt floor, Cave felt as though she was suffering a severe heart attack; boy, what a way to go, especially when dealing with a huge creature with shark-like teeth. Compa helped Cave lie completely still on her back, checking every section of her body as she attempted to cure her fallen friend. If nothing could be found, Cave will have to retreat back to the city, and seeing as how much of a void the whole group was in, Compa saw no way back towards the sweet caress of civilization; she will have to focus greatly, or else she'll feel as though that title of doctor will be removed from her name.

Using her wonderful MCE gimmick, Compa was able to be a strange Nano-machine, allowing her to travel through all the veins and capillaries and arteries of dear Cave, allowing her to see all of the muscles and bones within the Leanbox denizen. She knew the pain was in Cave's stomach, but no matter where she looked, everything looked completely normal, with no lacerations whatsoever, or at least none that could be deciphered easily. However, when Compa looked up just a bit north within Cave, she noticed a very, _very_ serious injury, which she concluded had to be the problem, simply escalating through the nervous system and making the pain spread about across the abdomen and belly-cavities. It seems that when the monster smashed against Cave, the ground did cave-in (heh), rendering Cave to be _almost _protected fully. However, the supreme weight of the creature still took its toll on her body, smashing against her body at a terrible velocity. While she managed to avoid a lot of damage, she still suffered from two broken ribs, one on each side of the rib-cage. They luckily were not piercing Cave's heart, but the broken bones were still hurting Cave's muscles around the area, which was the reason why she was feeling extremely disquieted.

"It's your ribs, Miss Cave. Just hold on; I think I can fix this," Compa said, making Cave's eyes open wide with consternation screaming to the world. She could trust Compa, no matter how much of a ditz she truly was, but the whole problem Cave had was that she did not enjoy hearing about the problem laying in her ribs; from her surprisingly little knowledge of the human body (she never cared to research on it. Only mental stuff, you know?), she at least could tell that the ribs were internal, so how the hell will Compa fix her? Will this require Cave to be cut open like a gutted pig, and have prodding hands poking every, single piece within her they come across? She gulped at the thought, though the intense pain within her body made her lean more towards being cut open. At least it will elevate some pain within her. Hopefully.

Weirdly, Compa never sliced through the skin of Cave. Really, all she did was place her hand gently on Cave's chest (making Cave blush, seeing as how Compa's hand was generously near her…well, yeah…), take a deep breath, pulled out a splint from her bag, and placed it on her chest as well. A serum of some sorts was also pulled out, the only thing that was actually place within her, as the liquid from the clear, glass jar was shot straight into her stomach. It made her feel sick for just a second, but soon, Cave felt pretty relaxed, her face forming a smile out of nowhere, much to the concern to much of the cast on this little landmass (though Neptune had to have her own face lit up, always enjoying it when a girl smiles. It was…just a character trait exclusive to this fanfiction, all right?). Once Cave was sedated, Compa made a strange noise, and she retreated to her MCE menu. Next thing everyone knew, Cave was now good as new. How does that MCE thing work in a literary sense? The cast has already used it, and it was still not clear to them!

"Miss Cave, how do you feel?" Compa asked, holding Cave's head as the brief sedation came to a close. Cave, now back to the sane portion of living, was cautious as she tried to sit up, but was surprised to find that her pain in the chest was finally gone from the world. It was strange, seeing as how the splint that was once on her body was now somewhere inside of her, though she did not feel this foreign object within her chest. She scratched the area, just to make sure she was truly okay, but no matter what she did, she did not feel a single error within her body. It was like she was never injured in the first place. She stood up now, taking a couple of steps just to make sure everything was functioning as they should. Once that was done, she sighed, and bowed towards Vert.

"My Lady, forgive me for this useless worry. I did not mean to worry anybody in the slightest," Cave said, looking so sullen at this moment, feeling somewhat like a failure after seeing Vert's battle-dress covered in blood. Vert saw this sudden bashfulness appear in the posture of her fellow worker back in the Basilicom, and chuckled to herself, never receiving this much respect from anybody, even as a Goddess (Chika always shown her respect, but, well, she's Chika).

"Oh Cave, do not worry about that. This was a serious injury, and if you were seriously hurt, I…oh, Cave, that will be horrendous! I can't even imagine what would have happened if Compa was not here to help," Vert said, bowing towards the moe-doctor, filled with gratitude. Compa blushed and looked away, smiling sheepishly; she was never the one for accolades, but when they do end up occurring, she can't help but feel so happy, to the point of being embarrassed. Cave also bowed towards the doctor, making Compa that much more moe and bashful, all at the same time. The levels, they're growing past max! Oh man, this is not good!

"Oh golly, it wasn't that much of a biggy! I'm a doctor, so I have to do that. I hope this system will help us out here in the wild. I just need to get more supplies, whenever I can," Compa said, receiving a pat on the back from Neptune herself, and a nice, cheerful smile from that of Iffy, who was leaning against a tree, sharpening one of her knives off of the bark. After all of the praise was given to Compa, because I guess a gameplay mechanic has to be liked by at least someone, Cave walked over to the fallen beast, picking up her massive Gatling-Gun in the process and brushing off any blood that did somewhat dry yet; no matter what occurred now, her gun will always be red from here on. She observed all of the parts of the beast, checking it from broken head-to-toe, and took out, I kid you not, a freaking bowie knife from her battle-skirt. She allowed it to prod around the belly of the beast, and with careful precision, sliced through the creature, so that the fur was able to fall off with ease.

"Yo, Cave, what are you doing?" Falcom asked, staying her ground from this scene, in order to avoid the spraying blood coming from the stomach of the beast. Cave apparently did not heed this question, as she continued to slice through the creature, removing plenty of the fur in the process (yes, viewers, somehow this creature had fur on its sand-paper-like body. What the flying hell was this thing, anyways?). For a while, the girls had to watch in silence as Cave randomly skinned the beast as best as she could, sweating even more after finally finishing the deed no one asked her to do. Once the final slab was sliced underneath the beast, she lay against the bloody creature, tired as all hell. Falcom decided that the scene was never going to get any cleaner, so she cautiously stepped over the puddle of blood, making sure to keep her eyes leveled. "Cave, what on Gamindustri was that?"

Cave looked over at her, brushing a bloody hand through her blood-colored hair, smiling like devil, making Falcom no short of nervous. "Preparing our dinner. Is there a problem with that?" Cave asked, making the entire party cringe at her blunt words. All of them slowly turned their heads to look at the beast, their faces covered in plenty of sweat due to trepidation and vexation. This horrific beast, one that nearly claimed Cave's life, was now supposed to be eaten by all of them, collectively. Yes, my dear friends; this fallen monster, this _bloody _monster, was to be eaten by all of them. The majority of lot did eat meat, but never in the fashion like this! They ate meat whenever it was possible, _away _from the actual process of the slaughter and eventual skinning. Hell, just seeing the blood soaked all over its dead body made the whole thought of eating meat in the future just unbearable and highly unlikely. I mean, damn; this monster sure bleeds a lot!

"Whoa, hold on there, Cave! You're expecting us to eat this thing? We can just head back to Corporatol. You…know that, right?" IF asked, quite alarmed about eating this thing. Oh, dear readers, she was actually the only one here besides Cave who was okay with the whole hunting ideal and all, once being a hunter for two days-exact herself, but to actually eat this creature…she wasn't really opposed to eating the hunted, but what if it didn't taste good? Besides, Corporatol City is just around the corner. All they had to do was make the trek back through the dark, dangerous, spine-tingling…IF believed that she just understood Cave at this moment.

"We can always head back there, but how do we know which direction it is? Is that the path we took, or was it this one? Which one is forward, hm? We may not be able to always make it back, and you know what Mattel said about those damn bells, right? I don't know the timing for them, but what if they ring before we get there? If we run out of food and have no other options, there should be plenty of monsters that we can, dare I say it, feast on. They should be like the ones back home, so they may be quite tasty," Cave explained, being the only one in the party who had any true experience with surviving the harsh reality of the wilderness (It mostly came with the job at helping the Basilicom of Leanbox). When she finished her temporary lecture on the group, the lot of them looked at her, then at the fallen monster, then back at Cave, and then finally resting their weary gazes on the creature.

"If that's the case, I'm down with it. I do enjoy surviving more than the next Goddess, but if I may pose a question," Blanc said, trying to sound like a superior being of the entire world. She walked over to the creature, ignoring the blood that stained the beautiful, tarnished floor below. "If I may ask, Cave, how are we going to, I don't know, carry this pitiful creature? I mean, I could flip him, but he's heavier for even my badass muscles!" Blanc actually enunciated rather than mumbled. Cave looked down at the ground, as though she was lost in thought.

"Are any of you hungry right now? I know most of you were complaining just a little bit ago."

After witnessing this bloody catastrophe, all of the girls really just wanted to continue walking. There was absolutely no feeling of hunger in either of them after seeing this scene unfold. Seeing all of their content faces, Cave nodded, and walked off into the thicket. "Wait, Cave, what are you…?" Vert asked, never exactly finishing her question, as Cave was far gone by the time she was able to say a single word. The group heard plenty of rustling, with the distinct sound of branches being crushed and snapped, birds flying away in haste, and some other critters running, with their own distinctive calls and roars being prominent; the group even saw this rather big, hippo-like thing run by them in the shadows, making the rest of the group rather…sick, to put it kindly.

When she returned, Cave had on her some sticks and leaves, which were used to cover the monster, almost to the point of being completely enveloped by the forces of nature (which had to be a _lot _of leaves and twigs, if you want to cover something that colossal!) She sighed, looking back at the group. As they watched her with paranoid eyes, Cave pulled out that Bowie knife once more, slicing two of the trees around her, making the mark appear rather greatly against the black back-drop, with the innards of the tree appearing to be a thick white. Everyone had no idea what she was doing, or why she was gaining so much publicity for being a common DLC character, but it didn't take long for IF to fully understand what Cave was doing.

"Oh, I get it. We'll cover him so that nothing else eats him, and the marks will help us find him again, right?"IF asked, making another marking with her own knife, creating a triangle of slashes around the body of the beast. Cave nodded to herself, glad to see that someone understood her logic of survival; with this many people traveling around, there had to be that one person that was as knowledgeable as her.

"Indeed, IF. As long as we make our mark on a couple of trees, we'll be able to tell where we have been already, so we can get back easily. I wish Mattel gave us a good map, but for now, we must know the layout, if we want to survive," Cave said, placing her trusted bowie knife back into her skirt pocket, of course wiping away some excess blood before doing so. She picked up her heavy Gatling-Gun, making sure that the belt within it was still okay for firing, and with a wink at Vert, she asked: "Shall we get a move on, dear Goddesses? We might want to hurry, if we don't want a bell ringing for us."

Vert had to admit, she was completely surprised to see Cave taking charge of the group. It was definitely not something that bothered her in the slightest, for at least she had some understanding of the wilderness around them, something she was not capable of. Noire and Blanc were not really enjoying having a human take charge of the group (Noire due to safety reasons, Blanc because she really hates being upstaged), but Neptune was A-okay with it, probably because she was just lazy right now. "Y-Yes, you're right! Everyone, we shall follow the example Cave has given us all!" Vert said, bringing her mighty halberd up in a battle position. Probably because of the weariness of the group after experiencing a near-death situation, no one decided to voice any laments or concerns, so the group continued on like normal, leaving the fallen monster behind, under the group had no choice but to eat something.

If you managed to peek up through the dark trees, you might have noticed the blue light, still somehow shining even brighter than ever before. Yet, strange as it may be, it was beginning to flicker.

* * *

"Holy Plumbers! Look, Noirey, a lake!"

Neptune was indeed right with her observations. After walking for about another ten minutes from the fallen creature, the group finally stumbled into a nice clearing, with the sun already behind a couple of trees, creating even less light then before, with the scenery about to turn into that purplish hue that Neptune loved so much. It was a nice change of pace in the scenery, and it took a while before the group had their eyes adjusted to the sudden onslaught of light. Against the forest that they traversed through, this portion of land was like a crater against the back-drop, though it was all beautifully natural. Enjoy your vista, everyone!

It was a rather huge lake, stretching for almost a mile horizontally (the group arrived at the tip of one end, which was the end not connected to the river). The water was a crystal blue, making it stick out like a sore thumb against the rest of the scenery. The ground around it was almost as soft as a marsh, with the dirt sinking into the water at a rapid pace. Duckweed was spread about the coast, with many strands floating within the top-layer of liquid. Underneath this pile of plant were the denizens of the lake, which included all the types of fish around the world, such as the midiflouder, the mpeg-shark, and the almighty , the strongest fish in the entire world. A sandy shoreline spread about the lake, with the trees at least 45 feet away from the lake at all sides. Many creatures from all around Lan16 came here to receive their daily drink, though once the group was spotted by them, they quickly retreated back into the forest, not wanting to cause any trouble, or have the possibility of being mauled and feasted upon. Overall, with the air much more pleasant than within the forest, the surroundings were a welcome to our heroes.

"This is awesome! Mattel said these things were pure, so…wow, I never drank from an actual lake before!" Neptune cheered, folding her hands together as her mind seriously felt that this was a wonderful time in her life. I would make a joke that detailed the fact that her life was dull and uninteresting, but this is Neptune, so any words that signify that argument will be sincerely shot down by both canon and the creators of this universe. Moving on. Neptune quickly ran up to a stoic creature that looked like a duck, bent down on all of her limbs, and dipped a hand into the water, taking a small puddle of water and bringing it straight towards her mouth. As the duck-like being quacked at her with rage, Neptune's eyes lit up.

"Holy Guacamole, this is the _best _water I have ever had! Noire, you seriously have to try this!" Neptune said, waving her hand at her favorite tsundere, who could only sigh to herself in response. Still, with her throat burning like the fiery pits of hell, and the fact that her body lost excessively much liquid to even be considered healthy, she could only follow what Neptune said. Cave and Vert noted the surroundings around them, and while many creatures were eyeing them from the distance, none had the competitive edge to attack like that rhino-like being had. Thus, once they gave the nod that everything appeared safe, the group walked over to the lake.

"Mattel said the lakes were clean. Goodness, that's a lot of fish!" Nepgear said as she watched various fish swim about near the surface, plucking away at the duckweed that happened to drift too far out from the shore. Placing her own hand in the water, Nepgear was also quite exstatic when she found that the water was extremely enjoyable. She took out an old vial that at one point held a nice, healing potion, and dipped it into the water that was far from the shoreline (she had to stretch, so that no dirt could possibly be added into the drink). At least now she had a place where she could refresh herself, which considering how she got this tired from walking for only an hour, will occur much more often than she would like.

"Well, at least we have a place to rest. How far is this place, anyways?" IF asked to herself, also pulling out a used bottle that apparently everyone had in order to place some water into it as a soon, the rest of the girls took their own share of the water, taking some gulps along the way, as if to fully quell the fire that raged within their throats. They decided to take a small breather, sitting down on the marshy ground, not caring if the new graphic engine allowed their clothes to get dirty, for after witnessing zombies, a rhinocerous-like creature, and the deaths of too many a person, they really couldn't care less. Huh, it seems that Neptune made a friend with that duck-like creature, petting its plummage as it quacked with delight or something like that. Do ducks like being pat?

"Hm, you know what? I haven't seen a single person out here. Is there seriously no crime being committed out here?" Nisa commented, bored out of her mind as she watched nature simply go on with itself. It was majestic, yes, but to Nisa, if a creature was not in trouble, then what was the point of the scene in question? Going back to the plot, the others were not exactly caring about not seeing a single human out here, but that didn't mean they weren't slightly vigilant. IF noticed it too, where not a single person lingered about in the forest; sure, they may have been looking in all of the wrong places, but this was a _huge _landmass. If someone were to say that absolutely no one wandered the area besides those that remained in the cities, then IF will simply have to cry bullshit.

"There's probably some scumbag out there. Knowing how crazy some of these creatures get, I wouldn't be surprised if they were insane as well," Blanc said, drinking her water as though she was problem drinker. With that, the group sat in silence, drinking away to their hearts content, with Neptune jumping around like a lunatic with that duck-like creature, pretending that she, too, was a monster from the days of lore. It was probably after the sun finally hit the top of the trees when Noire actually decided to call the Oracles. She really wanted reinforcements, but everyone was extremely opposed by that thought, so she decided to only allow the Oracles to catch up with their current situation.

"Kei, are you on the line? It's me, Noire," Noire said into the transceiver, hoping that the connection was good against the various trees that surrounded them. She heard a strange static noise on the other line, before she heard a strange murmur that sounded quite monotonic. Yep, Kei was definitely there.

"My Lady! I was just about to try and reach your frequency, but I feared that you would be in a bad spot when I call. Forgive me for not keeping in constant touch," Kei apologized to her superior. Even though the apology was probably emotional, Kei's voice simply diluted the whole effected, though Noire was already used to this deadpan way of her Oracle speaking. With a sweatdrop on the side of her head, the Goddess of Lastation said:

"Hey, that's okay, Kei! Really, we should be the ones contacting you. I'm just calling to say that we are though, we're going to be awhile. We have to the end of summer to beat this damn, Phantom guy." After Noire said that, Kei nodded on the other line. No other Oracle was present at the moment, as Kei had to retreat to Lastation in order to keep the shares up as high as possible.

"I see. Whelps notified us of this predicament. The other Oracles want to send reinforcements-"

"Uh, actually, I wouldn't recommend doing that."

"Hm?Why ever not? This is a national crisis we are dealing with, so the whole bulk of the Gamindustri army should have the ability to take him out," Kei responded, not sure why this idea of hers would not work in anyone's favor. Noire gulped another drink from her water canteen, sighing as the cool liquid went down into her system. Man, that was a useless sentence.

"It's just…I don't know much about this guy, but he revived a freaking Goddess. Our friend over here, Mattel, warned us about him, and everyone's just freaked out. He claims he sent spies out to Gamindustri, which I don't believe, but if he knows about us, it has to be true, so I'm assuming he knows a lot about Gamindustri. He may have the power to destroy all of our landmasses, and sending the army to fight him might make him destroy everything sooner. He's only giving us to the end of summer because he wants us to be better prepared. I don't want to risk anything, so for now, while I don't like doing it, we have to listen to his demands. I'm sorry for this lengthy speech, Kei, but please inform the other Oracles about this," Noire said, figuratively punching herself as she said this speech. She could have easily accepted the reinforcements, probably finding some way to make them sneak through towards the landmass, but if anyone found out, she would probably drop off the popularity chart. Besides, the less people that have to be harmed, the better.

Kei nodded to herself once more. "I understand. I will notify them soon. Please, my lady, do not risk your life out there. You still have a long time until this due-date is reached," Kei reassured her CPU, who promptly gave her thanks. However, just as Noire was about to say her temporary good-bye to her trusted Oracle, Kei spoke up once more. "By the way, my Lady, how is Uni doing out there? Is she behaving like a CPU Candidate should?" Kei asked in her monotonous voice, which really should have sounded like a sweet, sounding voice, though unfortunately it didn't come out like that.

Noire looked over at her sister, who was busy having some idle chat with Nepgear. From where she stood, it looked like the two of them were bonding quite nicely, though Noire was a bad judge when it came to things like this. "Eh, she could be better. She keeps getting on my nerves, but so far, she hasn't done anything that could be a sign of protest. Well, majorly, I guess," Noire reassured her Oracle. It was true that she had a bad temper, and remembering that spew of bad words Uni gave her a while back still ticked her off, even if it was just a distant memory. Well, at least she wasn't doing anything stupid that could probably lead to her death (at least, Noire wasn't aware of anything going on behind her back).

"Good, just making sure. I'm glad to see all of you are safe, and I still send my condolences over the loss of 5pb.," Kei said, before an audible call was made in the background. "I see. Noire, forgive me, but I must head to an emergency meeting. Please call me again, whenever you need me," Kei finished up. Noire finally said good-bye to her Oracle, and once the transceiver was off, the CPU sighed, resting herself on top of a rock, the only cast member concerned with getting her clothes muddy. Neptune saw the strange despair in her friend's eyes, so she decided to let the duck-like being flee off into the forest, mallowing her body to move towards the tsundere.

"Hey, how ya doing, Noirey? Feeling okay? You know I can make you feel better," Neptune said, with a strange sense of perverted lust being prominent within the last words of that sentence, or at least Noire felt there was perverted lust, considering this was Neptune. Noire made a strange grunt of fright, and backed off the rock, blushing like a crazed tomato. What, you never seen one?

"D-D-Don't say things like that out loud! Shit, everyone's looking at us!" Noire complained, even though the only one that was really looking at the two of them was Gust, and she was only looking because she saw the greatest lizard ever conceived on this mere planet. Neptune enjoyed watching a tsundere grow hilariously embarrassed, and decided to make Noire feel even more uncomfortable. She generally didn't like that uncomfortable ploy, but when it came to making somebody as cute as ever, it was a trick Neptune always used. She made herself lie on her back, stretching out on the rock, making all of her joints move at once, as though she was trying to be a temptress of the good ol' days. Noire observed this strange movement, blushing once more as she turned her head away quickly. "S-Stop that," she muttered.

"Aw, is my Nowwey-Poo embarrassed? Heh, you look so awdowwable in this orangy light!" Neptune said in a babyish voice, trying to contain her own laughter. Noire looked down at her, with the cheek puffed out and her face completely red, to the point that one could say she had some serious sunburn going on. Steam was coming out of her ears, but Noire's emotions were playing games with her. Neptune thought that Noire would actually lash out at her, so she coward in fear at first, but then she heard Noire finally break-and-laugh, the image of Neptune actually doing that replaying constantly within her head. Neptune stopped her hiding-behind-the-arms gimmick, and smiled to her friend. "Hah, I knew I can make you laugh!"

Noire looked at her and quickly stifled any more laughs she could have possibly made. "Well, I mean, come on! Even for you, that was pretty goofy," Noire said, trying to still look like the stoic type. However, deep within her mind, she was thanking her little, ditz of a friend; tension was still rising within the group due to the constant stress and feeling of hopelessness over the situation with The Phantom, but Neptune always knew when to make a joke or do something hilarious in order to make everything that much better.

Neptune was ready to send another reply to her tsundere friend, but a strange sight caught her interest. It was located on Noire, and Neptune was pretty sure that she never had it on before. Right between the eyes was this strange red dot, one that, if you looked close enough, you could see that it was fidgeting, as though it wasn't really on her person to begin with. Neptune turned her head in order to observe it better, and it was clear that it was actually now moving down her body, making Neptune gasp in horror. Noire quickly turned to her and said "what?" as the red dot moved just below the breast-line. It didn't take long for Neptune to finally access her knowledge of first-person shooters and movie-plot-points in order to understand what on Gamindustri was going on.

"Get down, Noire!" Neptune shouted, quickly jumping off the rock and grabbing Noire, forcing both of them to the dirty ground. Noire was caught off guard, and smashed against the soft floor on her back, making her wince, though this brief pain was soon replaced with anger at the ditz. She was ready to yell at Neptune for spontaneously jumping at her, but then Neptune made them roll towards the trees from where they entered. A second later, a sound shook the whole world, and various creatures that were drinking quickly fled back into the forest.

The party was at first confused over what Neptune was doing to Noire, but once they heard that noise, they quickly grew into defensive mode. There was a small incline behind them, where the ground apparently rose up due to the heavy moisture and plate tectonics, though I don't think that's how they really work. Anywho, the party quickly retreated to the back of this little hill, allowing themselves to be concealed from the other side of the lake. Uni and Cave looked up, observing the other side of the lake with great vigilance.

On the other side were six, possibly seven people, all armed to the teeth with some machine guns, pistols, rifles, and of course, the sniper rifle, which was being used by a man who made home on the bough of a tree. They were all hollering to one another, and each one of them readied their weapon, as though the party from Gamindustri was the lowest part of the food chain. Uni and Cave couldn't believe their eyes.

"Shit, there's a lot of people out there, and damn, they're armed!" Uni said as she quickly turned the safety off for her gun. The others were surprised by this, with Nisa boosting with excitement, though she quickly shoved that feeling away when she realized that the people were trying to possibly kill them, thanks to the evidence provided by the guy who shot the sniper rifle.

"Crap, are you serious? Man, they're trying to kill us big time," Neptune said as though she was tired. A few more bullets sprang against the ground around them, as apparently the members on the other side of the lake were getting quite anxious over killing them. _What happened to just playfully slaying monsters to level up? Was that not dark enough-Ow, my head hurts again! _Neptune thought to herself as she started to stumble in her crouching position. This would normally not be a problem, but very soon Neptune accidentally stumbled over the small hill, making herself completely visible. Noire and Compa quickly jumped up to pull her back down, providing enough information for the group of gun-holders to see that everyone was over there. Even if they weren't, a couple of deaths will be okay.

"Yo, they're over there! Bag them, now!" One of them shouted, presumbaly the leader of the pack. In what had to be two seconds, the whole world went from a quiet, peaceful serenity to a halestorm of bullets, as dirt shot up and above into the atmosphere. The girls covered their eyes as the landmass began to cloud their vision, and some animals galloped over them in a feat to get the hell out of there. The small hill they hid behind was started to break apart, and it was rather quick for it to collapse altogether, leaving the party vulnerable to annihilation from an unknown force. If only saving game was possible from the start menu.

Luckily, the bullets soon stopped for a brief moment, as each of the men realized they had to reload. "Shit, did we get any of them?" one of them shouted, with various other voices yelling either profanity or even racial slurs, some that haven't even existed for decades. The girls were now sitting ducks on the shoreline, with absolutely no cover besides the trees behind them, which would have to get traveled to, which might prove dangerous if the men reloaded fast enough. Cave looked over at Uni, seeing as how they were the only ones with heavy weaponry (Nepgear had a pistol on her, but she was too scared to use it).

"Lady Uni, we must return fire at them. Everyone else will have to retreat into the trees while we cover them," Cave said as she began to rev up that Gatling-Gun of hers. Immediately, Uni began to protest.

"What? But they're just people! I…I can't just hurt them!" Uni said, still holding her weapon up, but her trepidation forced her hands to shake. Cave grunted in annoyance, knowing that the others were probably thinking the same thing. Who cares about policies? They're on Lan16 now, not Gamindustri!

"Uni, it's either them or us! They finish reloading, and we are all done. If we shoot, we don't even have to kill them. All we have to do is distract them," Cave reassured the little Candidate. Uni looked to the ground as the guys (who were really slow at reloading) began to actually reload their guns. She always had a policy that , no matter what, she would never shoot an actual person, always hating the thought that she might have horrendously took a life that didn't deserve it. Even if her life was truly in danger, she would still never hurt a single soul. However, with a squeeze of the hand courtesy of Nepgear, Uni realized that she had people over here to protect, and seeing as how she was one of the only heroines with a gun, she would have to do the shooting.

_I'm going to hate myself for this, aren't I?_

Uni let out a war cry, and soon both her and Cave made the entire world explode once more in a storm of bullets, piercing through the air over the lake, heading directly towards the various men on the other side. Needless to say, they did not enjoy this particular scene.

"Oh shit, they're loaded?"

"Fuck, they got my leg…they got my-"

"Gahh! No, not like…"

"Shit, retreat!"

Once both of them ran out of ammunition, only three people remained, with the others either dying and injured on the ground, or fleeing into the forest beyond. One guy was holding a rifle, though he was too scared to do anything, with their presumed leader standing still in awe at the sight he just witnessed. The sniper remained on the tree, lucky enough to not come under conflict from those damn things. "Please, retreat," Uni said, feeling glad that the rest of the party retreated behind the trees, away from any, possible danger. It was only Uni and Cave left on the frontline, told to fight the battle themselves. Nisa was punching herself again, angry that she just realized that her great Prinny gun was left behind in the city. If it wasn't there and was in her hands, she would be up there, but fate just hates her, don't it?

Unfortunately for Uni, the leader still had some confidence left within him. "Okay, you all are good, but this is our turf! We know you are from Gamindustri, and Lady Dpah told us to kill you all! She wants your dead bodies for some…experiments, you know? Just do what we say, and kill yourselfs, so all of this will be so much easier," the leader said, holding his chest as blood came out, a bullet wedged within his body. The girls were all taken by surprise.

"Lay down your weapons, and we will let you live. Otherwise, I will have no qualm taking out all of you. I have no regrets taking people out who support a bloody demon!" Cave shouted, holding her Gatling-Gun up in the air like a boss. The goons were all surprised by this sudden maneuver, but the leader was only cackling to himself. When a crazy guy does that, it is never a good sign.

"Yeah, she may be one of them demons, but she pays us well. Besides, The Phantom deserves to rule this land, not those cheapskate people from Corporatol! Lady Dpah heard much about you, and right now, you are our biggest threat. Long live The Phantom!" the leader said, fully reloading his gun and aiming it directly towards the two girls. Cave and Uni realized they, themselves, have not reloaded, and thus they were now completely open to every, single thing that could possibly go wrong. Both of them said "shit" as the man pulled the tri-

"Yahooowwww!"

The man stopped his finger just in time, and the three remaining goons looked out towards the other end of the lake. The group from Gamindustri did the same, completely baffled by whatever the hell could've possibly made such a disturbing noise. All the noise from the guns stopped, and every, living creature of the forest stopped dead in their tracks, with the world entering into a state of complete silence. The three remaining goons started to tremble in fear, and one of them already began to book into the forest. It was only the sniper and the leader left.

The blue light began to shine once more.

"I-I-It's The Beastmaster! We got to go!" The sniper shouted, joining the other guy in running straight through the hostile tree-covered land. The leader looked back at them in disgust, but his own fear was quickly taking over, and he was forced to lower his gun. He looked over towards the beginning of a nice river, and soon his eyes grew wide as a figure made itself prominent. Swearing under his breath, he shouted towards the girls:

"Fuck! This isn't over yet!"

With that, the leader left, leaving a couple of injured souls cringing in pain and fear as the sounds of the forest continued to be muted. The denizens of Gamindustri quickly came out from hiding, running up towards the stoic Cave and slightly disturbed Uni. This whole scene was rougly, what, 5 minutes? Man, talk about track of time in literature!

"Are they gone?" Blanc asked, looking all around the other side, not seeing a single creature in sight, minus the trees, of course. Cave and Uni quickly reloaded their weapons just to be safe, but it seemed that no other person remained in the area, with the exception of the injured, but they didn't really pose a threat to either of them. "Man, that was a strange diversion. I guess there are people after all," Blanc said with a hint of exasperation. Soon, the whole group sighed, with Uni trying to hold back her tears, looking at those that she possibly injured.

"I-I didn't mean to! Oh man…" Uni started to cry, hating herself over this already. She quickly broke down and knelt on the floor, holding her hands to her face as the tears rolled out. Noire and Nepgear were both shocked, though Nepgear was the only one that actually ran to comfort her. Yeah, way to paint a picture of yourself, Noire. Do you really want the commenters to mention how much of douche I wrote you to be?

"It's okay, Uni, it's okay…It's not your fault. We…had to do it," Nepgear said, trying to hold the tears back for herself. Even though they were evil and she did not participate in the battle, it still pained her to see poor souls dying on the ground in agony. It was completely terrible, both to her body and her psyche.

IF shook her head, really not enjoying the death all around her. Sure, she knew killing monsters back in the day was inevitable, but they just vanished away, not lie on the ground, bleeding with their organs pouring out. No, that's just sick! Still, she decided to hold back any emotion, for she started to grow angry over not finding a single trace of Lyrica. Where could she have possibly wound up? Was she eaten? If so, what ate her? No, IF refused to think like that. Lyrica was still alive out there, and she wanted to find her, and fast. _We just have to search more. Come on, Lyree, be safe…what did spook those guys out?_

This random question made IF look out towards the distance, and what she saw freaked her out. "Holy…" she began to say, making everyone turn their eyes to wherever she was looking. Out in the distance, walking across on the other side of the lake, was a rather humongous horse, colored in various shades, with parts from various animals attaching themselves to its body. On this spectular creation of modern whatever, rode this mighty man, who had horns sticking down over his face, his body quite muscular, though at the same time robotic. Whoever this person was, he spotted the group relatively quick, and he laughed.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 201, para 3:_

"… 'It is a general truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite, and anything long united will surely divide.' These were the words of a man from that different world, one higher than our current plane of existence. I didn't know exactly what it could possibly mean, but as I see Gamindustri from afar change from one political notion to another, I think I can fully understand the statement. We are all people, yes, and many believe that we are all here to be friends with one another, in order to establish global peace. But, let me ask you: will that ever occur? I believe that our worldly philosophies mirror that of this other world, where no matter what we do, the land will always be divided. We never want actual friends or companions; our purpose is to kill one another, until we, as the superior individual, reign surpreme above all else…"


	22. PART 4: The Zombies Return

Chapter 28: In Which our friendly, Neighborhood characters meet The Beastmaster

"Holy…guacamole!"

The group stared in awe at this strange being, the disturbing man simply staring back, though his robotic face displayed no visible emotion, or at least none that the girls could notice. The horse the man rode upon whinnied, raising its front feet high into the air, its fiery mane glowing beautifully against the setting sun, before landing back down onto the floor, charging across on the other side of the lake, before finally reaching the very corner where the girls stood, allowing them to get an even clearer image of the thing. In what had to be an instant, the mighty steed of many a creature rested before them, standing tall with the might of millions. With a nay, it's rather angered-looking eyes and facial complexion rested, its neck aiming downwards, allowing the mouth to reach the grass. It was definitely a ferocious beast, but during such moments like this, it was hard to imagine it as anything other than just another creation of Mother Nature.

The man, owner of this proud steed and thus tall and powerful-looking as the horse in question, remained on his perch as he looked at the girls with eyes that were impossible to make out, for his head was nothing more than a heavy warriors visor with horns attached to the top, which aimed straight on the head, not towards the sky. His body seemed to be that of an ancient robe, something so strange and foreign compared to his robotic structure of the flesh. It was clear that he could stand up freely from the horse, but seeing as how his body looked so perfect on-top of the beast, it was too hard to imagine him separate. The girls had no idea what to think about this man, but when he opened his nonexistant mouth, it seemed that all of their thoughts were fully answered in complete detail.

He turned his head towards them, and with a slight movement of the hand, he said: "Dear children, do you fail to comply to the fact that the woods in this area are streaming to the brim with daft gents? Surely you must have known that the once tranquil lands of Lan16 have become the world's burden in recent times, yes?" The figure spoke, its voice masked behind the metallic structure of its (probably) face. The horse whinnied, and the man shouted at the top of his lungs a strange noise, which made the horse quiet and still like a statue.

"Um, weird way of putting it, but, well, we knew it was dangerous, but not, oh-Imma-gonna-shoot-you dangerous! That caught me off guard!" Neptune said, pointing at the ground, where scattered remains of the hell they went through lingered about. The man appeared to be trailing her finger, though it was too hard to tell, given he had no eyes, though once he saw the bullets, he quickly looked up at them all. His head bobbed up and down, taking a keen look at each and every one of them, not making a single movement that didn't involve his head. "Hey, uh, buddy, what you doing? Yeah, there are a lot of girls in front of you, but I wouldn't recommend doing anything…you know," Neptune said, honestly not enjoying the fact that the man was focusing more on her little sister and Noire, an act that really grinded her gears.

The man, after looking over all of them, looked to the sky and laughed. "Child, do you really think that I bother with the frame of a human? Even if I had those emotions back within me, I would not have the ability to do anything, as I am missing too many requirements in order to act!" the man said, making himself laugh even harder at Neptune's face, which was giving a rather, er, tense look. Apparently the guy couldn't do _funny _things that Neptune was implying, due to lack of that specific emotion, yet he still possessed the emotions to laugh, which is truly bizarre, in this author's opinion. "My lady, when you suffer the same fate as I, you will realize that the time spent chasing humanic species is pointless and non-enduring. When you become something like me, you realize that other specimens possess traits far better than whatever a human can hold within its pallete!"

IF shook her head. "Look, I really couldn't care less," she began, having horrific thoughts play in her head over what that guy just said. She had…bad experiences with people that weren't interested in human, but more into…well, _other _beings. Needless to say, it was never pretty. "Listen, buddy, who are you? Why did you help us?"

The man looked down and petted the mane of the horse, who simply grunted as it waited for its master to grant a specific order, be it flee or fight. "Ladies, I feel slightly appalled that you fail to see who I am. Are you not from here?" he asked, scratching his non-existant chin. Okay, now readers, the heroes from Gamindustri had plenty of choices to act through in this scene. They could have lied and said they lived here all their lives, and simply did not know him, or they could say that they have been sheltered in Corporatol City all their lives, and simply have never traveled this far out of it, somehow explaining their strangely-colored hair, a trait that people of Lan16 never really had. Or, they could easily endanger themselves to this stranger by saying they hail from Gamindustri, the place that The Phantom desperately wants to be made into a parking lot, which could mean that the two devils Mattel talked so negatively about were probably chasing them down in order to, I don't know, _kill them. _They probably now know what they all look like, so the girls would have no chance in concealing themselves from them, and who knows; this guy just might be one of those devils. You would think that Neptune, Ram, Rom, Gust, or even Falcom or Nisa would be the ones to blurt out that, yes, they are foreigners from Gamindustri, but strangely, the one that revealed this info was none other than the smart one herself, IF.

"Yeah, we came from Gamindustri to stop that Phantom freak. Now, why did you help us?" IF said, making the others make a motion around their necks as though implying that they were being slit. IF looked at them, and nodded as she shrugged. "Hey, I know that might have been stupid, but let's be honest here. No matter what we did, this guy will probably be a boss, and I seriously want to get it over with, so let's just fight now, instead of later." The others were still disappointed with her, but Neptune, Ram, Rom, Gust, and even Falcom and Nisa nodded in understandment, making the others fall over in disgust.

The man looked up to the sky. "Ah, the folk from Gamindustri, standing right before me. The Phantom has notified me that you are all out here to prepare for the next meeting by the end of summer, correct?" he asked. Knowing that the cat was out of the bag, the girls simply complied and nodded in disdain. "I see. Well, I wish you luck on your simplistic quest. I know The Phantom well, and while he is physically weak, he knows his opponents a little too well, and thus, he may prove to be a challenge in the future."

IF nodded again, showing a more, vexed side of her current stature. "Yeah, that's great to know, but you still haven't answered my question. If you know The Phantom well, why did you save us? And, by the way, who the hell are you?" IF asked again, folding her arms, really not enjoying the mystery this guy was giving to the air. The man let out another laugh, this time making the others feel uneasy, as it almost sounded just like The Phantom's.

"My friends, I am The Beastmaster. I am in charge of the forests of the west side of Lan16, one of the major workers for The Phantom himself. I am one of his long-time friends, and so far, I have never failed him once. Normally, I would test to see if you are all worth it by trying to kill you, but those men that attacked you were not working under me. They work for Lady Dpah, who should be up in the HuCard Mountains, _not _here in the forest. That woman must know her place, but oh well. It would not be fair to fight you while you were preoccupied by other people, so I decided to spare your lives for now, at least until you are fully prepared to face me in the future," The Beastmaster said, petting the mane of the horse once more. At the hearing of this revelation, the girls all felt a sudden pinge of fear run its course through them.

"Y-Y-You're The Beastmaster? One of the Devils? H-Holy crap," Compa said, making the others jump in response, never hearing Compa say anything that could be escewed as dirty (she blushed after saying it, so apparently everything was good because of it). The Beastmaster laughed once more, always expecting the same reaction whenever his name was officially pronounced to the world. It delighted him so; to see humans scared over the power of the natural world around them. Why he considered himself to be a part of the natural world, and not humans, is beyond even this author.

"That is indeed correct, my lady. I do not recall my real name, so The Beastmaster stuck. It describes me well, after all. Maybe one day, you will see the creatures I have made. I watched you kill that Rhinamonstran before, back in the forest, but I will say that he was not a part of my pallete of beasts. No, you will know when you see one of my creations, such as the marvelous steed that I ride upon. Mankind has survived too long on this planet, and I think the animal kingdom deserves the chance to repel them back into hell!" The Beastmaster said once more, pulling the rope around the horse, indicating that travel will commense shortly. The girls were all feeling weird at this point, though fear still managed to plague most of them.

"Wait, why do want mankind to go to hell? Aren't you human, or, at least used to be human?" Neptune asked out of curiosity. Again, The Beastmaster let out a laugh, and Neptune fell quiet once more, afraid of asking any more questions. When Neptune got scared, shit just got real.

"Ah, I was once, but those days are gone. Humans have too many problems that other animals do not sport, and it is clear that one day, humankind will simply eradicate itself off the face of the planet, with or without my input. The creatures all around us deserve to be the true rulers of our times, and I will be the first step into making that dream into a reality. It is why I am known as The Beastmaster, and I hope that one day, our paths will cross without the interference of that blasted woman," The Beastmaster answered longly once more. With that, he began to pull the rope around the horse's neck once more, and with a yelp, the horse began to prance around a little bit, stretching out its leg muscles.

Now, could the girls have done just a little more interrogating? Well, yes they could, but strangely, none of them pursued him any farther than that. Was it that they were all terrified? No, that would be the incentive to continue asking questions, or at least that is just my opinion. Could it be that they couldn't tell if he was armed or not, and that if they simply held him here any longer, there was going to be a dangerous conflict? IF wanted to fight him, but even she didn't act out in any way. Maybe it was just how The Beastmaster spoke; the way Mattel had warned them about back in Corporatol. Who knows, readers; all I know is that the opportunity to take out one of the top men working for The Phantom has come and passed.

Before The Beastmaster took off into the darkened forest, he turned towards the girls once more, making a nod to them. His nonexistant eyes took a stroll down the vision field, resting now on the heroine of Justice, who was currently in preparation for a jump attack, if it is needed to occur, of course. For some reason, the girl was quite odd in comparison to the others, at least by his opinion. While he chose not to interact with her during this scene, with the same being said for her, no matter what words IF had said, his focus was always on the heroine. Something was just…unique, about her. It wasn't necessarily her stance, nor her profession or her lack of proper feminine parts in regards to the chest, but the aura that she had devised around her. It was something that only those that focused hard enough could see, and even then, luck was the final barrier between foresights. Was it her confidence, or her pride, or self-indulgence? Perhaps, in a form of a hypothesis or something of that nature, he saw something else, something that only he could see.

In an instant, he laughed, and it finally occurred to Nisa that the man was now staring at her, and for once, she managed to conquer a little bit of fear right there, not wanting to waste any opportunity in taking this bizarre opponent down. She gritted her teeth, made a small, audible groan, and was now crouching, as though she was sincerely going to charge towards the massive man and the massive horse he rode upon. However, while the rest were in preparation for this attack, Nisa never changed her position, and it appeared that her eyes were more bug-eyed than normal, though no one could pinpoint an exact reason for this. Perhaps I was wrong, and Nisa did have some fear left over, as she realized that, the odds were seriously against her at the moment. The Beastmaster laughed once more, and it appeared that he was ready to leave, though he managed to say through the growing wind:

"My lady, one thing is definitely for sure; you and I must have a rather interesting conversation in the future. Until that time, I bide all of you farewell!"

And with those words spoken, the horse galloped off into the darkness of the wood, illuminating the trees around it with a fiery, red glow, as though to indicate that the steed was truly on fire. When he finally fled the scenery, the whole world collapsed into a heap of deep purple, and nighttime apparently settled in during their lengthy conversation. The girls all had different, unique reactions from one another, all detailing the anger and rather pained thoughts from meeting a man that surely was one of the most trusted individuals under The Phantom's rule.

"Hm…Nisa, I think he has a thing for you," Falcom said, nodding to herself as she flexed her arm out, making sure all of the tendons and muscles were perfectly placed. Nisa's face turned almost the same color as the trees that were illuminated by the mighty steed into the night, her whole body shaking as steam rose up into the heavens. It was quite rare for Nisa to ever get into the state of bashfulness and embarrassment, unless she was the Nisa that belonged to the stories with titles reminiscent of Shakespeare titles. In which case, on the contrary!

"W-W-What on Gamindustri do you mean? I saw nothing that alluded to that! D-Don't just say things out of the blue like that! Don't you have chivarly, Falcom? Come on, don't spread rumors!" Nisa proclaimed her eyes being concealed now by that mighty, red scarf of hers. Her hilarious reaction had made the party laugh, and it was quite relaxing for everyone to finally settle down for just a bit, seeing as how certain death attempted to take them all down twice in under two hours. It was so grand, that they party may have just fully forgotten the fact that there were still men lying on the ground, bleeding to death as their fatal wounds began to take their toll.

"Oh, damn, this is painful! Lady Dpah, save me…save…"

The girls got out of their cheerful glee in order to look at these said men. One that was injured had already passed, moving on towards the pathways of the afterlife, either continuing on towards the mighty stairs into heaven, or plunging into the darkest flames of hell. Either way, the character at least experienced some form of relief from this terrible form of torture inflicted on them. Compa couldn't believe her eyes at this sight, and rushed over to the squirming bodies as fast as that syringe would allow her.

"Oh, this isn't good. Please, just hang on!" Compa begged one of the men; one of the men who, may I add, attempted to shoot her, along with her dearest friends, down for the sake of profit. Still, her oath as a doctor was to treat anybody that needed to be treated, regardless of personal beliefs. She observed the wounds of the body in front of her, requesting a torch from Noire as she investigated the man. Him, along with his remaining friend, were both heavily damaged, as bullets still pierced their bodies, mostly in the torso and neck areas. One of the men got shot straight into the lung, and his only vocal input in this scene were coughs of disgruntlement, as blood occasionally appeared from the bottom of his throat. She had the material to save them, of course, but seeing their heavy wounds, it will take a lot of time, possibly too much, resulting in one of them meeting their end on this marshy field next to the lake. "It's okay, I'm here to help you. Please, just keep your breathing stable."

It is quite amazing that this ditzy girl could be so good at doctoring. When she isn't needed, she could be a very foolhardy goofball, but when someone was seriously hurt, she will switch to a different person almost immediately, and will sometimes not rest until she knows that the person will survive, or at least return to a healthier condition. The man knew she was one of those they tried to kill, but the pain made him not necessarily care, making him allow Compa to feel his chest as her fingers caressed the punctured areas of his clothing and flesh.

"You are going to be okay, sir. Just keep listening to my voice, and tell me anything you need to. I might need your input in order to save you, okay?" Compa said, with the man simply nodding, his neck muscles growing ever-so weak. Compa knew that even with her beautiful gimmick, this man might not make it, seeing as how prolonged the injuries have last, though she will still not yield until she had attempted her very best. Lives are fragile things, and left unattended, they could suddenly fade without warning. A small flicker caught Compa's eye as she watered an injury, and she turned to see the rest of the group forming a circle of fire around them, a rather potent one at that.

"Yo, Compa, get in her soon. The bells might ring, and I doubt you want to end up as zombie chow," IF said, trying to smile for her friend, knowing that she was dealing with a rather scarring situation. Feeling rather sympathetic due to her own loss of Lyrica, she knew that making her at least feel better was the way to go in most situations. Compa nodded to IF, though her mind suddenly became scrambled as…Neptune's scrambled eggs; yeah, let's go with that. She did not enjoy the thought of monsters chowing down on her, feeling as though she would probably give them all constipation due to the amount of moe-girth she had on her being (that is correct, folks; she worried for the monsters, _not for her personal, well being)_. Still, she had to show that she was strong, and not wanting to alarm her patient, she simply nodded and smiled back at IF, and continued to help the poor man. The other man was simply not going to make it, his coughing starting to become lesser and less. Such a sad sight, yes?

"Just keep hanging in there…. keep hanging in there…" Compa repeated as she attempted to extract the bullet after managing to stabilize the bleeding. The man was still awake on this world, as evident by his awareness to his surroundings, but he was awfully quiet for having someone poke through him, his life currently at a high stake. Maybe it was because a maiden was touching his body, though seeing as how he simply showed no sign of interest in Compa, that was clearly not it, either. Can anyone in this damn story make something noticeable at first sight?

However, the man suddenly looked directly into Compa's eyes, his face covered in a thick blanket of sweat. "Uni…Uni…is she…in your…gahh!" he said, finally wincing as he felt a sudden tug near his ribcage. Compa held his head, making sure that any coughing that was done will bode well for him in the future of this operation. "Uni…is she with you?" the man fully asked when the pain fully subsided.

This was where Compa became quite concerned for various reasons. It is not everyday that some random Joe randomly knew a CPU Candidate, especially a random joe that was a foreigner, and probably had never even set foot into Gamindustri to start with. _He knows Uni? Is he a long-lost friend? No, that can't be right…Uni probably didn't even know about this place until now! _Compa thought to herself as she continued to help the man out. She looked over at Uni, who was busy simply sitting on the ground, waiting for the oncoming horde to finally show and ruin everything for everybody. Why would this guy want her? This was truly bizarre, and she had to interrogate this man, in the hopes that she may just find out a dark secret or two.

"How do you know…yeah, she's with us," Compa said, not really concerned with revealing that, just in case this guy might join with them on their quest to find this abandoned factory. The man coughed, holding onto his chest as he felt the worst pain in his life. His eyes seemed to grow horrified as he finally took notice of his partner, who was now lying completely still, his chest never to move again. Compa winced at that sight, suppressing any emotion she could possibly give at the moment, in the hopes that she could still help this man before it is too late. She felt rather guilty over letting the other man die, and she knew that suppressing her emotions will bite her later on, but seeing as how her patient right now is struggling, she chose to risk it. The man coughed once more.

"Uni…Lady Dpah wanted her…something about…mark three…" the man said, before going into a coughing fit once more, barely able to keep himself together, though with Compa around, he was at least able to keep himself alive for just a little bit longer. Compa was starting to get worried now instead of just concerned, and once the man had calmed down, she decided to question further.

"What do you mean? What's a mark three?" Compa asked, finally removing the final bullet. All she had to do now was patch up the opened wounds, and get the man to lie somewhere comfy, so his bones could fully heal with her medicine. She had to admit, she did good for saving this man, though her mind was still hurting from seeing that other man die in agony. The man looked at her once more, his eyes luckily regaining some color in them.

"Lady Dpah wanted…to run an experiment…make her transform…either her or her friend…honestly can't remember," the man said, his voice regaining some composure, an instant relief for a doctor like herself. Still, the words he was speaking were quite the disturbing type, with her own set of mind not fully comprehending what he was trying to say. Why would this man, or Lady Dpah, for that matter, want Uni and this unknown friend? What was a mark three? Why was he telling her this?

"Why are you telling me this, sir?" Compa decided to connect with the previous paragraph. The man sounded as though he made a laugh, though Compa wasn't able to tell in the end. He now looked towards the star-filled sky, with his eyes growing far more larger than before.

"Just in case…you meet her…Lady Dpah is violent, and when…she sees you, she…she will hurt both of them, regardless," he said, smiling towards her. It was a sign of gratitude, that much Compa was able to pick, and she had to admit, she was pretty gratefully for finding this news out, even if she had no idea what it could spell for them in the future. She, along with the others, have not yet met Lady Dpah, but at least she knew that she might go after Uni and a close friend of hers. Unless this man was lying, she at least got something out of saving him. Yeah, she felt bad for thinking that she saved him in order to get information, but right now, the group would probably want that desperately, and she was able to deliver.

She grasped one of his hands, glad to see that he was slowly recovering back to full health. "Thank you very much. I think we can forgive you for shooting at us. Please, though, follow us back to Corporatol. We at Gamindustri will help you on your path to being a better, random joe!" Compa said, with the man smiling again, though pain was still evident in his eyes. For once, Compa had a reason to smile, knowing that she managed to save a desperate life in danger; she had saved the party countless number of times, but she felt especially rewarded when a stranger was grateful for her assistance. It looked as though he was about to say something, and Compa eagerly waited for his response.

Then, the bells began to ring.

Both Compa and the man looked at one another with fear in their eyes as the bells rang eerily across the night air. It was all but quiet with the exception of the man-made creations, but once reality apparently sunk in for everyone around that lake, noise began to fill the air. Trampling was the first noise, soon followed by howling and panting, which numbered in the near thousands, in regards to everyone surprisingly hearing the exact, same noise. It was too dark to see anything, but the group knew that the monsters were storming from the forest in all directions. At least they made the fire, though unluckily for them, Compa and the man were outside of the ring. That is simply not a good thing, readers.

"Shit, Compa, get over here, quick!" IF yelled, readying her throwing knives in case the shit hits the fan. The group made sure each and every light source was completely lit (thank god for the splintered wood from all of the bullets. It was like fuel was readily handed down to them), and braced for the hell that would possibly last throughout the entire night. Compa and the man were still frozen in fear, and while the monsters were invisible through the thicket of the forest, the noises continued to escalate to a high degree. Compa would have probably high-tailed out of there by now, but actually being in a situation involving zombies made her think rather differently than normal. Besides, she had a live patient with her, and running would simply doom him to a death that would be most unpleasant. His injuries were not helping matters, and it was clear that if she were to survive this, she will have to drag his body towards the ring of fire, and fast.

"Damn it, move your ass, Compa!"

Compa quickly grabbed the man's shoulders, and began to drag him away from his resting point, slowly crawling towards their point of sanctuary. The monsters were growing closer and closer, and while they still remained unseen, she knew that it would only be a matter of seconds before millions of zombies rushed toward her. With the injured patient's life in her hands, she had to survive this, or die trying. It was a rather dark decision played in her head, but right now, a doctor has to protect his/her patients, and if she had to die because of it, then so be it. "Oh, I don't want to die, doc," the man said, feeling blood starting to ooze once more, one of his wounds opening due to this haste. Compa continued to drag him, but knew that he was a heavy burden, making their movements too slow for any form of survival.

It was around this point that IF had to make a choice; either let her friend continue this futile effort of dragging the man towards them, possibly risking all of their lives in case they bump into a fire and ceasing its burning, allowing the zombies to get them, or running out into the dark, grabbing Compa and leaving the man behind, and hope for the best. She knew that Compa would hurt herself over her patient being left to die, but from IF's point of view, his wounds were too serious, and seeing as how they were opening after the surgery, it was definite that life for him will surely not last that much longer, regardless of what Compa did. IF didn't want the man to just die like this, but if Compa continues to drag him, they will both be zombie-chow, and in mimicking the darkness that is a choice made by some mother during a world war, IF had to think quickly. _Damn it, Compa, how do you always wind up in these messes? Lyree, I hope this won't disappoint you…_

As Neptune tried to hold her back, IF ran straight towards her friend, who was only halfway towards the fiery ring. "Compa, come on!" IF yelled as she wrapped her arms around Compa's waist. Compa felt this sudden tug, and though she at first thought it would benefit both her and her patient, she soon realized that the force the hands were making on her were trying to make her let go. "They're coming, Compa! Come on, let's go!"

"I-Iffy, no! I can't leave him behind! Stop it, Iffy!" Compa shouted as she tried to hold onto the man with her life. The man shrieked as he felt his body get lower on the ground, Compa's comforting hands leaving his shoulders. "Iffy, stop! Please!" Compa begged, but IF was not complying. She continued to tug at the Doctor, and finally, after quite an intense struggle, the doctor was freed from the possession of the fallen rebel. The rebel shrieked as he hit the ground with a thud, and he tried with all his might to stand up on his own, two feet, but his weak frame wouldn't allow it, and he was left shambling about in the dust of the marsh. Compa was now literally being dragged towards the ring by her best friend, who only wanted her to be safe.

As they closed on the fiery ring (Neptune and Noire were outside of it, ready to defend IF and Compa. Neptune was going to run for the man, but Noire held her back, knowing that going out any farther would be a suicide mission), the monsters finally made their appearance, appearing on both sides of the lake in all directions. They howled and screeched like Orangutans, and proceeded to run towards the group at full velocity. "Oh shit, oh shit!" the man yelled as he tried to reach for his gun, which lay scattered over near a tree too far from his location. "Doc, don't leave me! Doc!" he shouted, but by the time he said doc the second time around, the monsters were already surrounding him. Neptune and Noire took out two of them each before retreating back into the flames, and they both helped IF and Compa into the ring, with Compa trying to escape IF's clutches. If IF was not as strong as she is, Compa may have just broke through and attempted to save the man.

"Oh…I can't watch," Blanc said, surprised that she actually felt disgusted at seeing murders committed by zombies; she loved zombie flicks, but actually being in one was not boding well with her current tastes. She held Ram and Rom close to her (both were completely confused about the whole ordeal, so Blanc hoped that they wouldn't be scarred from this slaughter that was about to take place). The zombies all stopped at the flames, backing away as they observed what on Gamindustri this fire truly was; the girls were all thankful for this, but at the same time, the clearing the zombies made allowed the girls to see the monsters take out the man. It was a terrible sight, with his voice raising high in the air as the zombies took turns transforming his body into a bloody carcass. All of them winced and turned away, with Compa breaking down and falling to the floor, bawling her eyes out. No, this wasn't genuine moe-crying, but the most depressing form of tears anybody could ever shed upon this very world. Eventually, his screams were muted, and the zombies all looked at the group now, surrounding the fire, like it was a gift from the heavens. The girls readied their weapons in case they broke through, but eventually, the crowd died out, as each and every one of the monsters ran in its own direction.

"Did…did we win?" Vert asked, seeing the chaos of the monsters all around her, thankful that the fire trick truly worked in their favor. How long this particular duration will last for the zombies to roam was not known, but all of the girls decided that right now, there was no time to think. Compa continued to cry her eyes out, pounding her own head a couple of times as she even swore under her breath. IF tried her best to console her, but she knew that it was as futile as trying to drag that man back towards the fire. The rest of the group felt guilty for letting him die, with Nisa simply sitting down away from everyone else, feeling like a total waste of a person for letting another person fall in a gruesome way. What type of hero was she? The Goddesses all remained silent for a little bit, knowing that the man did try to kill them, but as what Compa apparently went through, his life was at least worth it. At least he probably found some form of peace in the great beyond, though no one wanted to think of that right about now.

* * *

Chapter 29: In Which Uni and Nepgear seem to bond a little bit

If you looked near those trees over there, past the heavy smoke currently being made, you could see the blue light, the brightest object in the sky so far. Yet, oddly enough, it was flickering in-and-out, as though it was running out of fumes. That was strange for such an eerie light…

"Yeow!"

Nepgear awoke a little bit later from a light-sleep to the sound of Uni yelping in pain. She saw her friend sitting near the border of the ring, where a couple of zombies continued to run about in the dark, though most have now lingered off towards better areas for hunting. As quiet as a snake going into a base filled with gears and metal, Nepgear crawled towards her best friend from another nation.

After the whole horrific scene with the zombies appearing, the group simply decided to sleep, hopefully to at least relax their minds just a little bit, in case the morning brings on even more delight than now. However, in order for sleep to occur, someone had to stay awake in order to keep watch, as well as make sure the flames did not die out during the night. Cave and Falcom were quick to volunteer, but somehow, Uni managed to persuade them to sleep, allowing herself to be the watchful soul of the night. Nepgear quickly joined soon afterwards, and thus, our two CPU Candidates were the guards of the heroes from Gamindustri. Seeing as how Nepgear was drifting off to sleep before, this might have been a terrible decision on the group's part.

Anywho, with about an hour since the monsters appeared, Nepgear felt relief from finally being away from too many zombies, though the memory of that man being chopped to pieces, and Compa breaking down in a violent manner in response, made Nepgear want to curl up into a ball and simply cry her soul out of her body. Why were they going through so much hell on this landmass? All she wanted was to be back home, away from the terrors of this place, with absolutely no risk of the planet falling apart at all. Man, she would love that, but since she is a CPU Candidate, she had to remain strong, and thinking thoughts like that would probably lead to morale dropping in an instant. If that were to happen, they will all be goners. _Just be strong, Nepgear. Neptune always said that, so I have to!_

She snuck up behind Uni, and without a moment's hesitation, glomped the unsuspecting tsundere with relatively strong strength. Uni, who was looking out towards the forest ahead of her, yelped as she felt the calm, gentle, and warm arms of Nepgear slip around her waist. She actually almost fell straight into the fire in front of her, but Nepgear managed to hold onto her tightly, rendering that possibility impossible. "Nep, don't do that! There's still zombies out there, just so you know!" Uni yelled, folding her arms above Nepgear's, feeling embarrassed at this situation, though she was still glad that no one else was awake to see this. Nepgear, in spite of the turmoil that plagued her mind, managed to crack a cheerful smile, and she nuzzled her head on Uni's shoulder. Uni blushed rather…hard, not knowing why Nepgear was doing this unexpectedly. This was way, too strange for even her.

"Sorry, Uni, I just wanted to make sure you were…" Nepgear began to say, before she looked down at Uni's arms. The dried wounds were at least healing up considerably, but what caught Nepgear's attention were the new lines that stretched from Uni's elbow to a few inches in front of it. Uni noticed that her arms were the focal point of Nepgear's sight, and she quickly broke free from Nepgear's hold, folding her arms close to her dirt-stained battle dress. Nepgear was shocked, and she soon noticed the strange object that contrasted greatly against the purplish grass below them. It was covered in some form of liquid, which Nepgear was able to pin-point quickly. "Uni, why-"

"I could have saved him, Nepgear. Why the hell didn't I?" Uni randomly asked, looking straight into the flames next to her countenance. Nepgear had to be honest here, she was expecting a reaction that was related to how a tsundere would react to being embarrassed; she was surely not expecting this strange tone from the otherwise semi-stoic CPU Candidate. Still, she couldn't believe that Uni would go on and do this again, and for what damn reason? Regardless of what Uni really wanted, Nepgear crawled over towards her once more. While Uni shoved her away the first time, she dared not resist Nepgear again, and she simply accepted the fact that Nepgear was now hugging her from behind.

"What do you mean? Goodness, Uni, why would you do this again?" Nepgear asked, feeling tears beginning to form around her tear-ducts. Uni didn't turn her head to face her, not wanting to see the saddest thing the world has ever known. She continued to poke at the grass, ignoring the blood that now rested in a bed on her arm. For a while, minus the new sniffling made by Nepgear and the continued sniffling of a sleeping Compa (damn, I'm seriously depressed now), everything was quiet; even the zombie-like creatures appeared to grow silent as the two of them lingered on in the awake world. Nepgear couldn't help but cry into Uni's shoulder, with Uni trying her best to not care in the slightest.

"Nep, I'm a CPU Candidate, and hell, I have a gun. Why didn't I try to help that guy, you know? I just sat down and watched as he was freaking eaten alive! What a good candidate I turned out to be," Uni said with a monotone-like…tone. She looked over at the others, who were currently in a slumber that was too hard to actually remain in, as evident in the fact that many continued to shift about. Nightmares will be the common thing amongst these girls for days to come, possibly months, even years. Nepgear rested her head on Uni's shoulder, remaining silent for a little bit longer, crying silently to herself as she looked down at the wound on Uni's arm. "I…I didn't want to do this again, Nepgear, but I just…I felt like I deserved it. I'm just tired, that's all, of everything that's happening."

Nepgear and Uni remained still as a couple of firebugs flew about the flames, with the zombies occasionally getting closed to the flames, though they quickly retreated back into the forest after realizing that hey, fire for them is a bad thing. _I don't care if you're tired about all this, why would you hurt yourself? Just talk to me! _Nepgear shouted in her head, the words wanting to come out of her mouth, though she reluctantly held them back, not wanting to cause an argument that could possibly awaken the rest of the cast. Strangely, though, she did do something that she hoped would make Uni feel a little bit better. From her sleeve, she pulled out a rather spiffy-looking handkerchief, which apparently, she carried just in case she needed it. I must say, this was completely unexpected, but then again, it is Nepgear, and she is known for doing the weirdest, most innocent things.

"Hey, what are you doing, Nep?" Uni yelled as she saw the piece of paper wipe away the blood on the arm, which caused a slight, stinging sensation to run its course through Uni's nerves. Still, she did not attempt to stop her friend from doing this, and she remained quiet as the handkerchief wiped away the red liquid that could make even a strong man sick to the stomach. Once the major excess was gone from Uni's arm, Nepgear tossed the paper into the fire next to her (which caused it to raise slightly in delight), and proceeded to glomp her friend with the greatest strength imaginable. Again, Uni just accepted it. She had to admit, Nepgear's hugs were always the best, and no, don't think like that, you damn reader! Uni would kill me if she saw me supporting something that shouldn't be supported by her standards!

"Uni, I'm ashamed too," Nepgear said, smiling as her tears ran down those cheeks of innocence (boy, that sounded weird to type), "but I couldn't do anything, even if I had the courage to do so. That poor man…Compa tried her best, but I think she knew it probably wasn't going to work. I hate thinking like that, but no matter what we could have done, he wasn't…g-going to make it." Nepgear turned her head slightly to fight back the full onslaught of tears. Uni still remained silent, though it did seem that her face did relax just a little.

"I think the only one who could have saved the man was Blanc, but she wouldn't run out there because she didn't want to leave her sisters behind. She was crying herself to sleep before, remember? And Cave has a gun too, but she didn't do anything, either. She was afraid of hitting Compa. Uni, I thought everyone talked about this! Please, I hate to see you blame yourself," Nepgear said as she went on to bury her head into Uni's shoulder once more. Uni was still silent, though she did have a visible tear running down her face. It was one of those tears that made one reflect on life, for some reason.

"Yeah, well, I should have done something, Nepgear. Everyone said not to blame themselves, but what do they know? My gun was loaded, and unlike Cave, my gun's easier to handle. I could have taken out a few zombies, let IF or someone go out to them, and save their lives. Noire did something, and your sister did, too. I have no excuse, Nepgear. I don't," Uni said, relinquishing Nepgear's hold (albeit gently at that) as she decided to lay on the ground, taking care to move her self just a little bit so that her hair had no chance of catching on fire.

Nepgear brushed away the tears on her eyes, flicking them over to the fire for good measure, and decided to lay next to Uni, hoping to at least keep her hurt friend company until the bells ring once more. Uni sighed, really not enjoying this company, but she decided not to complain, as Nepgear was already sad, and making her any sadder would probably lead to a crime against humanity and Planeptune. "Uni, I have no excuse, either. If I wasn't so scared, I would have run out there and helped Compa. Yet, I think because Neptune went out and helped Noire, I was afraid of leaving her, so I stayed behind to make sure she was okay. Maybe you didn't leave because, I guess subconsciously, you didn't want to leave Noire. I mean, that's just what I think," Nepgear said, feeling a sweatdrop form on her head as she realized that Uni could easily yell at her for making such a profound comment. However, Uni did not do this, but she did look over at the sleeping Noire, who was holding onto her rapier like a teddy bear. Isn't that a bit dangerous to do?

"Did you see how Noire looked at me when we were talking? She glared at me, Nepgear. _Glared _at me. She probably wanted me to help her fight, but I didn't. She must be disappointed in me, right? I want to satisfy her, but damn, why can't I? What Lastation Denizen can't do everything? Man, she's going to let me have it tomorrow, isn't she?" Uni said, chuckling a little bit to herself as she now looked back towards the sky, where only a few stars could be seen due to the heavy smoke that was currently being generated. Nepgear nodded, knowing that she did see Noire make a face towards Uni, but goodness, it couldn't be out of anger! She knew Noire well, and Noire would never make her sister worry quite like this. Sure, she may have been rough the past couple of months back in Lastation, but she would never be this mean. Surely Uni must have misinterpreted the face!

Cuddling next to the CPU Candidate of Lastation (who blushed at this movement, not really sure if Nepgear truly knew that what she was doing could be eschewed as something else), Nepgear gave her friend a warm embrace. "I'm sure Noire didn't mean anything bad. If she did, I'll protect you from any argument. I know you don't deserve it," Nepgear said as she cuddlied with Uni. Uni had to say that while she was hesitant with her doing this motion, she had to admit, she actually enjoyed it. Again, Nepgear always gave the best hugs.

"R-Really?"

"Of course. What are friends for?"

"W-Well, don't think I'm going to need your help all the time! I can take care of myself, whenever I feel like it!" Uni replied, making Nepgear smile as she saw the old Uni finally reawaken from the depression. For a little bit, Uni just talked about what was going on Lastation, and Nepgear chose to listen, liking to hear Uni sound happy rather than that monotone-style she had whenever she was depressed. It made Nepgear feel rather good inside, you know? It was just a pleasant feeling.

"Crap, what are we doing? I almost fell asleep! I'm supposed to be keeping watch!" Uni said as she immediately sat up, with Nepgear following suit. Both of them stood up and, against all odds, actually laughed to themselves, feeling slightly foolish for almost messing up on the job, even though Nepgear already did by sleeping before, but this author chose to keep his mouth shut. They walked over to the flame nearby, making sure it was still completely lit up. It was a strange sight to see two friends just hanging out like it was natural, you know, with thousands of zombies still wandering about, desperately wanting a chance to, I don't know, eat them? Ah, what do I know?

"Hey, Nepgear?"

"Hm? What's up, Uni?"

"Don't bring this up to anyone. You know, the arm-slicing?"

Nepgear nodded to her friend as she picked up a stick and threw it into a firebed. "Okay, Uni, as long as you promise me that this will never happen again. You worry me when you do things like this," Nepgear said as she still tried to keep a peaceful deposition. Uni, however, looked down at the floor, and Nepgear thought that she was going to cry. That wouldn't work out, now would it?

But Uni did not cry. Instead, she actually walked up to Nepgear and, with the biggest surprise this author has ever witnessed, hugged Nepgear back. Even Nepgear was caught off guard, but she hugged Uni, making sure that the CPU Candidate knew she was cared for. "I won't do it again. _Never. _Heh, you are my best friend…sorry that I worried you," Uni said, which must have taken a lot of courage to say, given that she is both from Lastation, and a tsundere at that. Nepgear patted her friend, smiling as she felt glad that they could work something out.

"I will always be your best friend, Uni. Always."

But as Nepgear said that, she could've sworn something was watching them, something that wasn't zombie nor animal. She thought she saw glowing, white eyes far off into the forest ahead, and the light radiating from them managed to illuminate the body somewhat, making the body look feminine, robotic, and snake-like. It was tall, that was for sure, but Nepgear couldn't make out a lot of it, for as soon as she saw it, it vanished into the darkness, with the zombies continuing to roam about the land until the next bell.

This was certainly going to be a much more painful adventure, but Nepgear chose to keep quiet. Though they keep telling me to hide the subtext, it is getting harder and harder with each scene.

High above, the blue light returned to its normal shine, becoming one of the stars high up in Celestia herself.

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 84, para 4:_

"…That is why the is currently still active somewhere around the world. It was supposed to be sealed away when Akklayas fell two millenias ago, but somehow, it has the chance to still exist in this world. It is the third deadliest thing in existence, next to the Ultra-Goddess Formation, and the third dragon of the apocalypse, which rests somewhere within the bowels of Planeptune. Where could this Goddess be, I have to wonder. Dpah has gone on and made it her life mission to find this individual, and hopefully awaken the form, so that she can somehow suppress it. I am reluctant to allow her to do this, but if there is a chance to stop the end of the world, then I believe I have no other choice. She says that the only way to awaken the is to cause the individual to grow so angry, to the point that all emotions are simply replaced with anger. This could occur in many ways, from destroying a home town, to ruining the life of the person, to killing off their most cherished of loved ones…"


	23. PART 4: 5pb's Horrific Maze Run

5pb. Phase 4: In which the first official round has begun

They barely got time wake up in the morning, or at least what they thought was the morning hour. It seemed that a few hours had past since Lyrica met Zyng and Quantic, and yet the battle for their lives was already commencing. When she awoke (the first in her group to do so), military-like soldiers, dressed in the finest steel imaginable, walked up and down the aisles, banging the butt of their guns on the cage-doors, alerting everyone to awake status. One of the soldiers finally got to Lyrica's cage and, though he found that she was awake and alert already, still banged on the iron door, forcing the whiny princess and the innocent foreigner awake in the process (shouldn't they both be considered foreigners? Ah, who cares). This process continued on until all the freaking cages had angry grievances issued throughout the cages.

"Ah, how dare those buffoons wake me up in such an uncivilized manner! Do they not know who I am?" Zyng yelled to the soldiers with a fist raised in the air, a thumb aiming downwards as a result. Lyrica pictured this as a childish manuevuer, but in Foreheadbook, that down-thumb gesture is one of the worst insults you can possibly give to any gent. However, this is not Foreheadbook, so that fragment of culture is simply laughable, even here on Lan16. With a heavy cry, Quantic also arose, standing up silently as she stretched to the heavens above. Oddly, her movements seemed to be less humanlike, and more in the style of interactive movie, where her motions can simply be modified at the push of a button. It was all strange to Lyrica, but seeing as how she might end up seeing them dead in a short spell, she decided that perhaps, she should cherish some of these cultural oddities for at least a little bit. Though, since one of them was a bitchy princess, she wondered how far she would go for that.

_Oh dear God… do I want them to die?_

"Oi, weiz must goi! Wonde what weiz do?" Quantic pondered, confused over why they had to be awaken at a time like this. Most of the people around them began to bang on the cage doors, with the soldiers on the other side simply yelling back at them to keep quiet, apparently due to them having to show some respect to what they were about to say. Still, this did not stop them from pounding on those metallic doors, begging for them to be open, allowing what may have been one of the deadliest riots Lyrica would have ever seen (And trust this author, she has happened to see a couple in her rockstar life). Zyng made a loud sigh, slouching against the metallic door as her hands were crossed over her chest, one of her fingers restlessly tapping on the opposing arm. The soldiers were actually quite pleased with how Lyrica's group was doing, seeing as how the others were simply attempting to break out and kill anything that stood in their way. It was this thought that made Lyrica chuckle, as she wondered if the men could handle Zyng for more than ten seconds. That would be a riot to see, no?

"Everyone, pipe the hell down! Show some dignity; you all want to win this game, correct? Just stay calm, and when the doors open for your cages, proceed out the door quietly and with order. Any who do not follow these rules will be shot on the spot, and if you are the leader and the bullet ends your life, realize that your teammates will share your same fate!" A soldier yelled, aiming his rifle at the groups, prompting the other soldiers to follow suit. The denizens of each cage retaliated with either a wimper or loud protest, though all were admittedly fearful of a barrel aiming straight towards their faces, so they all backed off, just in case those soldiers got a little frisky with their trigger fingers. Lyrica still remained crouched on the floor, trying to pinch herself awake, just in case this whole scenario turned out to be a well-made dream. Or, would that be a nightmare? Either way, it still wasn't pleasant in either way.

One by one, a door opened, and three of the prisoners stepped out reluctantly, some attempting to jump and frighten the soldiers, though a few warning shots toward the ceiling made them all go back on track. Even though it was evident that barely anyone knew who each other was, two of the group members would walk around the third member, presumably the leader of the pact, making sure that no matter what, the leader couldn't do anything that could end the lives of the others. It was a strange form of teamwork that begged the question of whether anyone could co-operate in such a bizarre situation quite like this. Sure, two men would protect the leader, but would they do the same if that person was not the leader? Hell no; Lyrica has seen situations where people simply wouldn't help those that need it. If that leader title was not added to the person, that person was as good as road kill. It made the idol scared, as she was now considered a leader of a motley pack, who already were proving to be unstable. It made Lyrica wonder if, she had this title stripped from her, would the two of them immediately set their sights on her life? It was one of those questions that could keep a stoic being up for plenty of hours during the night.

"So, something happens to the leader, the rest of the team dies? What a bizarre rule!" Zyng yelled, still slouching on the door, waiting for it to open, so she could be the first one out and have the chance to speak her mind against the soldiers on the other side (perhaps she failed to realize that the soldiers already warned against that. Then again, maybe she did realize the situation, and she simply didn't care. Can't tell with these new characters, kind readers). She looked over at her other team members, smirking as she tapped that finger over and over again. "5-whatever, you better not pull off any, stupid trick! I don't know about you or this girl, but I prefer staying alive!" Zyng yelled, taking a cautious peek out the window of the door to see if the soldiers were heading their way yet. They were coming closer by the minute, but they were currently busy with a cage three down from them. Seems they have a little bit of time for conflict, huh?

Lyrica looked up at the apparent Princess. "I would never do anything stupid, if it meant that someone would get hurt. I'm more worried about you, Zyng. You seem to be the type who would lash out at random. Oh, and its 5pb. If I have to address your name right, I think I should have mine said right, too!" Lyrica yelled, trying to restrain herself from lashing out too much. Who would think that Lyrica had the ability of speaking with a snarky attitude? I do say, that was quite unexpected, but since books can't talk, I guess you'll just have to visualize it for yourself. Will it work in Japanese? Do they even know what Japan is?

Zyng suddenly grew angry, and made an angry step forward, making Quantic make a hilarious yelp as she covered her head in the corner of the rom. "What was that? Did you just talk back to me, you little welch? I would never lash out at others, even if they were clearly evil (_heh, good one)._ Honestly, I want to hurt these fools, but I'm apparently not allowed to, so don't you dare think I would do it! You have no right to speak to a noble lady such as myself!" Zyng yelled, pointing a finger straight at the idol. It was this type of attitude that angered Lyrica to no end, and whenever someone had the gall to actually wave a finger in front of her face, she was essentially ready to embark on a quest to rid that person from this planet. She stood up on her feet (feeling cracking as she did this, having been crouching for a long duration of time), and simply stared down at the princess. "You know, I seriously think I should be leader rather than you! At least I know what I am doing," Zynga proclaimed, looking quite overjoyed with herself, patting her chest with a mighty fist. This only added fuel to the fire.

"You know what? Just can it, Zyng! I am the leader, even if I don't want it, so that's that! If you don't clean up your attitude right now, I'll…I'll…" Lyrica said, before trailing off. What would she do? She couldn't just hurt Zyng, being that she was a party member and all, but that wasn't the main reason for her hesitance. Even though this person was quite rude and filled with ostentatious behavior, she was still just like Lyrica herself: a human. She had never hurt another person in such a bad way, as far as she knew; even when her old group had to fight off Underling so many freaking times during the ASIC days, she never exactly hurt the girl, only brushed her to the side, while the rest of the party did what they could. Could she really hurt Zyng, even after all of this noise that came from her "royal" mouth? Lyrica wasn't sure, but she knew already what the answer will be in due time; she would simply just end up tolerating whatever the hell Zyng told her. Hopefully, during whatever they have to do in this twisted game, she would get Zyng to stop being such a jerkass. At least, she hoped.

It was around that point that Lyrica remembered what IF told her about what occurred at the benefit concert for Lastation. It was still pretty vague within her head, but she still recalled that being, who has now been identified as The Phantom, who made her so twisted on that stage, to the point that she said some cruel things about her audience. Why did she say that? Yeah, she was angered about their apparent drug use, but she would never think those cruel thoughts. Crap, why was she thinking about this now? Was she really thinking the same thoughts toward Zyng now? Wow, and she thought there were crueler people in the world.

_"__It's your entire fault! I hate this fucking world! I write songs for you, and what do you do? You just get yourself drugged up and look like idiots! God, I fucking hate you all!"_

She wondered if there was any reason why that quote was censored before, but later on every other quote was not. Ah, change in demographics, or something like that; anyways, why did she that? Was this a seriously good time to now be thinking about all of this? No, it couldn't be, but for some reason, her mind decided to be a decisively selective asshole, and forced her to think during a dark time in her life. _No, _Lyrica thought to herself, _I shouldn't be thinking like this! I hate her guts, but I shouldn't be thinking like this at all!_

"Hey, did you yield already? What type of leader gives up so quickly in an argument? Come now, surely you have more within you than that!" Zyng yelled, bringing Lyrica back to the material world. She shook her head, her hair flipping about in the air, accidentally hitting Quantic in the process, regaining her position within this needless argument. She once more made a face of irritation, offending the princess even more, which had to be quite the accomplishment.

"Listen, just don't do anything stupid out there, all right? We are a team, so no matter how much you protest about us, you just have to deal with it. I'm going to be fine, and Quantic will help us. Just be a team player, okay?" Lyrica tried to sound as much like an adult as she possibly could, hopefully dispelling this argument before it got out of hand quickly. However, because Lyrica has only known Zyng for less than half-an-hour (not counting the time spent sleeping), she has yet to realize the fierce determination that the lady of ForeheadBook held within her. In other words, Zyng refused to accept that as the true end to this vapid argument.

"I am a team player! If you dare speak back to me one more time…" Zyng said, once more pointing her index finger towards the idol once more, a horrific form of kinesics towards others, before Quantic broke through her shell by extending her arms out at both of them.

"Stoip! We can't juiz continzue argruing! Pleaz, maik upe!" she yelled at both of them in her heavily thick accent. Lyrica felt the cold palm of Quantic's hand hit her, and in a spontaneous instant, she immediately calmed down, looking down towards the floor in shame. Zyng, on the other hand, did stop herself from continuing this rather pointless argument, though she pouted and looked the other way, still believing that by the end of all things, she was still the one that could be considered physically and mentally superior, at least compared to the two girls that made up her team.

"I'm sorry, Quantic. I didn't mean to start arguing. Zyng, let's just call a truce, okay?" Lyrica said, making Quantic smile; such a strange child, though seeing her smile made a smile jump upon Lyrica's lips, which was quite relaxing and soothing to those that actually care for her personal, well-being. Lyrica held a hand out, hoping for Zyng to take it, but the princess simply continued to look away with a pout on her face, refusing to even bate an eye towards Lyrica's direction. This made both Quantic and Lyrica look at one another, unsure as to how this group was ultimately going to work out.

_Zyng, if that attitude is not cleared up, we can both be doomed. Come on…_

The metallic door soon opened, with two soldiers aiming their rifles towards the three girls. The girls in question held their hands up high, Quantic ultimately releasing some tears from her eyes as the men entered the room. They demanded to check their bodies, just in case they were harboring anything that could be horrific for the day ahead. The girls were reluctant, but they had no choice, given the barrels that were aiming down at their necks. Strangely, given that this story is M-rated, you would expect some twisted scene where the men take the advantage, but surprisingly all they did was their job, briefly going over any part of the body that could possibly hold a tainted object, before simply standing by to the side, still holding their guns towards the three of them. It made Lyrica nervous, that's for sure.

"You three, listen up! You are expected to walk out in order from leader to two members. You must walk to the door out there, and have no interaction with the rest of the members of the game. Doing so will end your run here prematurely. Please, co-operate with us, and we wish you the best of luck for the day ahead. Now, march!" one of the soldiers said, standing tall with his gun holstered over his chest. The girls didn't really glare at him, but in their minds they sent words of spite and strife, and with other soldiers on the outside now aiming their guns, the girls had to walk out without another option, holding their hands on the backs of their heads as they walked the long and dangerous mile.

_Iffy, where are you? Oh, please give me strength for whatever is happening. You, Epica, everyone…please help me, _Lyrica thought to herself as they entered into the blinding light of the next room, the same one that they walked through when they entered the first competition, where Lyrica had to witness brutal murders of children that simply deserved much more than this horrific, hellish world. Lyrica could already tell that their next thing will be just like the last game, but now that there are teams, what could that possibly spell out for them? Will there be another game that required so many to just die out like the inferior beings of mankind? Were they chosen for this to be the delightful toys of the people on this side of Lan16, only meant to be animals trapped in a game of wits and bloodshed? Lyrica grew even more angry, and as the light faded away and the entrance to the arena was visible, with the audible sound of the crowd cheering in enthusiasm coming into full stereo, she could only clench her fists when the whole world came around her.

On the balcony above the entrance, FPS made his grand return, walking slowly as his massive frame shook even the landmass itself. It sounded as though he made an audible cough as he walked up towards the booth with the microphone, though Lyrica couldn't confirm this. She could only stare at the ground as he began to clear his throat, two soldiers standing next to him making sure that he was all right. How could he possibly cough, anyways? From what Lyrica could see, this man wasn't even a man, but a machine! Eh, she assumed that this was just another example of "don't judge a book by its cover" taking affect, though Lyrica didn't know if this really corresponded to this dark and twisted gent. She just wanted to wait and hear what the man was going to say, do whatever he wants (regardless of whether she wanted to or not), and just go back and cry herself to sleep. At least this meeting should be short, correct?

But against all odds, he didn't actually speak right away. Instead, he clapped his massive hands, and it seemed that a cover went over and covered the sky. This made the entire population of contestants rather scared, and a couple of terrifying screams were made that made Lyrica shiver. Artificial light began to pour through the cover, with each light jumping about the massive crowd like flies trying to mark their territory over a land of massive horrendousness. The lights were all a sickly green, reminiscent of a child, who may have eaten too much of a spoiled product, all bouncing off the people with a temerity of an angry gust of wind. To Lyrica, this was all like a twisted rave at an unknown club underneath a city, situations of which she commonly attended during her early days of being a star (days she would like to forget. Relax, folks, nothing twisted occurred to her. They were just stupid, that's all). What the purpose of it was entirely unknown at the moment, but she could at least infer that whatever it was, Lyrica was going to hate it no matter what.

After five seconds of the game's budget going to weird places with lighting, the lights finally rested, seeming to intentionally stop on selected, key officials, of which Lyrica, Quantic, and Zyng were a part of, due to them standing beside one another to the point of hugging. The other lights hovered over three individuals for each, all causing the masses to freak out, with one random man proclaiming that somehow, aliens were going to abduct them and send them to planet Mars. However, because no one knew what a "Mars" was, they simply dismissed it for their own thoughts, which generally include something involving monsters, mass genocide, and bad taste. To Zyng, she thought that Celestia has finally shown to the world how truly important she is to everyone else, with Lyrica and Quantic only being in the light because they were next to her. To Quantic, she thought that the lights signified that they were destined to die, and she shrouded her face with her hands, afraid to see how it will all end. To Lyrica, she had a slight suspicion on what was about to happen. Just as she thought, she was definitely not going to like it.

In what had to be another five seconds, the cover flew away towards the sky, being blown into the stadium, apparently resting on a portion where no one sat to watch the scene unfold. The groups all looked at one another in bewilderment, though this confusion was short-lived, as soldiers came out of nowhere and began to pull most of the groups away towards the sidelines, leaving only five groups behind. Most of the people still tried to fight against the soldiers, but more warning shots were made, forcing the contestants to be quiet for another spell; each shot made the crowd within the arena cheer even louder, regardless if they actually saw the shooting or not. In the end, Lyrica's group, along with the other four, remained standing in the middle of the entrance, all concerned as to why they were not selected. Were they going to be executed? Were the other groups going to be executed? It was all too confusing, and when situations are confusing _and _filled with the chance of being shot dead, turmoil was expected to be there at any second.

When all the groups were removed, FPS watched the remaining groups. "Congratulations, you lucky five groups! You have all been selected to fight in the next round. Those that were pulled away, return to your cages; breakfast will be served momentarily," the man said, hands folded behind his back as he observed the groups. It was this sentence that made a horrific drop in atmosphere occur, as the five groups in the center felt a horrific tinge of dread play about on their spines. Zyng was utterly devastated, looking at FPS with eyes that, if you happened to hold a piece of wood near them, it would be set ablaze in a fashion so deadly, it could possibly kill you (it is the best I got. Sorry). Lyrica made another mental slap, hating herself for somehow calling it.

"Hey, why do we have to fight? Can't we at least eat first?" some obnoxiously fat man yelled toward FPS, raising his fist in the air as his other team members tried desperately to calm him down (it was evident that he was there leader). FPS managed to pin-point the buffoon, and let out a laugh. A couple of soldiers were about ready to shoot the poor sod for speaking against FPS himself, but the tall, towering figure held out his hand, forcing the soldiers to be at ease.

"Dear boy, have you no respect for your elders? They can eat because they are at rest. You, on the other hand, have been selected to fight, and fight you shall! If you survive, you can eat an even bigger meal than the others. Die, well, the dirt will be the only food you receive. Just remember, kind contestants, you do not have to die today; you may be injured, but no one has to die. Now, show honor and be at ease, before I do call for my men to fire upon your unforgiving soul!" FPS yelled towards the jolly gent. The man just stared at FPS for a split second, before calming down and remaining still as he allowed his teammates to console him. Never had Lyrica seen a man so fat break down in an instant; truly a waste of the common macho-man stereotype, no?

FPS clapped his hands once more. "Well then, where was I? Yes, you selected will fight today, simple as that. I guess I should explain some rules to you before I allow you into the arena. My friends, the goal of what you are about to do is not to kill thy enemy, but instead get the requirement to win first. Those that win are, of course, safe. The second and third place people will be safe as well, no penalties. Everyone else, however, receives a strike against them; three strikes, and the party will be killed off. Those that are found to be in last place of a match will get a penalty, and, well…they will be forced to kill one member of their team. If one is already dead, the other dies. And, remember contestants; if the leader dies, the rest of the party is required to end their lives as well. This is a teamwork show, not an individualist network. Do I have an understandment with you all?" FPS asked, passing the stand over to the rest of the crowd.

Of course no one wanted to understand what the man said, but what other choice did they have over the matter? The groups, even the ones that were spared from the violence for today, all took a couple of looks around at the rest of the members, suddenly growing an intense state of paranoia, making their nerves shiver as though they were being exposed to the wilderness, which wasn't entirely far off. Heavy breathing became symptomatic across the board, and perspiration like you wouldn't believe began to appear all over the contestant's faces, including Lyrica, who, while predicting correctly what was about to occur, still felt hopeless and disturbed over the whole concept. However, the thing she was most scared about was how calmly FPS sounded when he said those words, and how goofy it must have sounded to him, given how he was chuckling after every word. What the hell was about to happen to them?

Yet, no one spoke up now, all afraid to do so, given how every soldier held a rifle high in the air, ready to fire upon any who dare oppose the twisted rules to this game. Lyrica looked at both Quantic and Zyng, who were displaying different variations of fear; Zyng was biting one of her thumbs, her eyes twitching at a rapid pace, while Quantic held her hands to her eyes, possibly still reeling from the fear of being under those lights. Shaking her head, Lyrica just gave a sigh, placing a hand on her hip as she watched the ginormous man walk about on that accursed podium. Above all else, she still heard the heavy crowd within the arena cheer loudly, starting to grow anxious over waiting for so long. _Dear Goddess, they actually want to see this game? What is wrong with Lan16? _Lyrica asked herself, gritting her teeth as FPS went back to the microphone, coughing somewhat to himself in the process.

"To those that were selected, this one's for you! Inside that arena is a mighty hedge maze, with walls that continuously shift around as time goes on. Be careful, as you can get crushed to death at any moment! All three members of a party will be separated from one another, and the goal is for them to meet up once more, touching the other team member in order to confirm that they found one another. This seems somewhat easy, yes? Well, here in 'Arena-o-Violence,' we do not like simple things. You see, the leader of the faction will be blindfolded, only having small slits in the fabric to allow them to see around them. Wouldn't that be interesting? Around the floor of the maze may be a weapon, be it blunt or sharp, though there will be no guns allowed! Yes, you may hurt opposing members, even as far as kill them, but your priority should be finding your mates, so better make haste!" FPS monologued to the group of combatants. Lyrica shook her head as the rest of the people, including her own party members, screamed and shouted profanity towards FPS. Not only was there the chance of her dying once more, but now she had to go through this moment _while blindfolded_. That just sucks, kind readers.

Zyng looked over at Lyrica. "Listen, _leader_, don't do anything stupid out there, okay? I don't want to die just because of your blunders!" the Foreheadbook princess yelled toward the pop idol. Lyrica instantaneously forgot the fear she was currently holding when she heard her say that, and she folded her arms and looked away, too angry to actually look at Zyng in the face.

"Please, don't say things like that! We are a team, Zyng, so please don't say anything harsh. I won't mess up, but please, protect yourselves out there," Lyrica begged her teammate, still feeling as though she may just collapse in a few seconds due to this intense fear. Quantic, still quite filled with tears and utter uneasiness, looked at both of her quarrelling team-members, and while still sniffling from that intense crying, she managed to say:

"Plewse, stoip! Foive-peh-beh, I'll maike sure you soivoirve this. Zoyng, wei halp one anoither, roight?"

Zyng glared at her teammate, which caused Quantic to flinch back. "Hm, I guess I have no other choice. Fine, but you better be worth the trouble, Quantic! And, for crying out loud, stop producing those damn tears!" Zyng yelled at the foreigner. Quantic flinched once more, but Lyrica was genuinely impressed to see how Quantic's face rapidly changed to look so determined. She didn't know if this was due to Quantic really wanting to win and, of course, survive, or if it was out of fear, as Zyng most certainly gave off a threatening stance. Still, it at least made it seem as though the group had a shot. Lyrica rubbed her forehead.

"I'm glad I have your support. Um, I guess I'll do everything in my power as well! But…I'm not sure about that whole 'blindfold' gimmick," Lyrica told her team. Quantic and Zyng both looked at her, Quantic with curious-yet-welcoming eyes, and Zyng with, well, eyes that made you want to go and hang yourself out of desperation.

"Foive-peh-beh, holled one hained ouwt. It'll halp you ouwt thar!" Quantic said, holding her arm out in order to demonstrate the rather easy motion. Zyng just laughed to herself, and surprisingly, it was Quantic's turn to glare at her teammate. Knowing that another conflict was possibly right around the bend, Lyrica had to quickly think of something. Even though it was foolish to do it in front of everyone, Lyrica soon motioned like Quantic, literally trying to imitate as though she was trying to comprehend it. Quantic smiled at the idol when she saw her do this, and nodded in order to confirm that Lyrica was doing it right. Zyng stopped laughing, and turned her head and pouted, not believing that both of them were doing that.

However, once the microphone made a feedback sound so loud it could deaf the strongest of ears, Lyrica found that all of them were filled with fear and anger once more, and they were forced to look at FPS again. It seemed that just like Lyrica's group, everyone was attempting to strategize how in the bloody hell they were going to survive this, though unlike Lyrica's group, they weren't as composed, so most of the words coming out of their mouths was nothing but a babble of unintelligible nonsense; Lyrica couldn't blame them, given the situation they were all in, but she was actually scared at herself for not being like them. Was she simply just used to this? No, she was only in one event, and even then, she was pretty scarred by it, just like everyone else. _Maybe I'm sadistic…No! I am not! Why am I so calm?_

Due to this, FPS waited patiently for everyone to finally calm his or her mouths, before he finally began to speak. "Well then, I am glad that everyone seems to be enthusiastic to join in on this triumphant battle. Even if you do fall in combat, know that your name will go down in the history books as both a hero and a legend out on the battlefield! Now, Let us give our fans quite the show, shall we? For those blindfolded, the soldiers will now escort you out," FPS said with a chuckle that sounded like someone scraping their fingernails upon a nicely-made chalkboard. The crowd of contestants all looked about themselves, as though they were signaled out for no particular manner. A loud crash was heard, and the door below the mighty podium FPS stood upon began to open, two pulleys's barely managing to complete the job. The crowd of Lan16 must have realized what was occurring, and began to stomp their feet, cheer like rapid dogs, and caused one ruckus that quickly outweighed any tropical storm.

Through the door, Lyrica saw the entrance into the maze, and even though she only could see about two feet in, she immediately inferred that the bastardly contraption will surely not disappoint her wits. Before she even got a second glance at it, she felt a tough arm grasp her shoulder, and before she turned around, her hair was forcibly pulled back. She struggled to break free, but as she continuously shuffled about, a big piece of cloth came over and covered the top portion of her face, blinding her as her struggling began to degrade to a fit of confusion. Her two teamates didn't seem to be trying to stop this whole act of injustice, but that was probably due to a couple of soldiers aiming freaking guns at their tiny, vulnerable faces. "Doint hurt her! Foive-peh-beh is impowtant to uis!" Quantic shouted as Lyrica felt her feet being forcibly moved across the floor, two soldiers holding her shoulders firmly in their grasps.

"What's going on? Please, you're hurting me," Lyrica said, feeling sluggish as the crowd went crazy once more, seeing the contestants beginning to thin out into the mighty maze from the graveyard herself. At this point, Lyrica had no idea where on Gamindustri she was, only knowing that the ground randomly shifted from being dirt, to grass, to sheet metal, to even crushed rocks._This already doesn't feel safe, _Lyrica felt like she was making a joke within the foundaries of her mind. She heard buzzing on one side of her, and a strange crackling like fire on the other, and occassionally the soldiers were forced to stop as something in front of them shifted, which would've probably crushed them if they were not careful enough. All of this, coupled with the soldiers not talking once, made Lyrica fear for both hers and both of her partners. No matter how things played out, she knew that this was going to be one hell of a game. She could already feel goosebumps appear all over her skin.

Soon, she was finally stopped, and the soldiers turned her around for some reason. In what might as well been a mighty flash, she felt a knife skid across the cloth over her face, and soon she came equipped with two slits for her eyes; they allowed her to see just a little bit in front of her, but to call it actually seeing was more or less an insult on the whole infrustructure of the optic system. "Why did you…?" Lyrica asked, knowing it was indeed a stupid question, but hey, when soldiers randomly do something that sounded against their code, wouldn't any sane man ask out of curiousity? One of the soldiers faced her, though his face was obscured by a heavy gas mask.

"You are granted only minimal sight. It would be impossible for even the most aware individual to survive this maze completely blind. Also…" the soldier said, before giving a hand signal to the other. Lyrica was shaking in the Game-show-provided boots as the unseeable soldier position himself right behind the poor idol of Gamindustri. Pretty soon, she felt her hair being tugged once more, though this time it was considerably more stronger than ever screamed as the mighty hand of the soldier held her down, with the other soldier holding a finger up to her lips. "You may want to keep your voice down. I've seen some of these contestants, and if they hear someone not on their side, they may just disembowel you on the spot," he said, followed by a laugh that sounded surprisingly lively.

"B-But what are…" she began to say, before she felt the slice. It certainly came from a blade fashioned for military use, and the cut was pretty impressive, almost too good to be true. The slicing noise was clearly not on her skin or clothing, as there was no apparent pain, but she did suddenly feel somewhat lighter than ever before, and she hasn't adequately eaten in days. But it was strange, for she did not understand how she could possibly be lighter, if no pain was felt. Was her body supressing the pain, and she will feel whatever it was that they cut off, or will simply drop dead because it was them who disemboweled her, rather than the other teams? It was simply too confusing.

But that was when she realized that no one was holding down her hair anymore. Did the soldier just let go of it? _Strange…but why would he? This is creeping me out! _She thought to herself, desperately trying to piece together anything she could in order to find just what they cut off. Her hands were luckily free, so she began searching her body all around, making the soldiers smirk and shrug at one another. Lyrica sweated rather profusely, not getting what they did to her. She heard the slice, she knows it! Something was sliced off of her, and she will find it-

What happened to her hair?

Her hand waved about behind her, but when it did, nothing was felt. There was only the space of darkness that greeted her, and this greeting was one she wished would never be given. Slowly, her hand raised upwards, until she finally felt the looseness of her blue hair. For many that know her, the hair of 5pb. was legendary, being a striking blue color that was juxtaposed against her black-and-pink uniform, along with her disturbing-yet-surprisingly-calm eyes; it was always long, from the day she was born, and while she did cut it on occasion, it was only to make sure it never reached her thighs. It always covered her back, and made her feel confident and quite unique. For many that loved her, that hair symbolized just how great she was.

And from what she was feeling, her long hair was ripped off, only now reaching to just past the back of the neck, though not by far. The soldiers sighed, glad to see she finally found out what was wrong with her. "Forgive us, miss, but it was on the order of FPS himself. Don't think it's just you; he despises anyone who has long hair during conflict. He says it goes against all laws of the battleground," one of the men said (She was not sure who). Lyrica's eyes widened in shock and trepidation, backing up just a little before the soldier behind her caught her before she moved too far. "Lady, we're sorry, but it had to be done. I'm sure it will grow back, nice and clean and full of life and…hey lady?"

Both soldiers quickly grew concerned towards the idol, who was now going into that strange episode of, eh, disturbance. Her eyes, while held behind the cloth, were rolled up once more, and her mouth stuttered up and down, her body beginning to lose strength as it collapsed upon the currently metallic floor. On the ground, she was twitching about, her arms moving rapidly up and down as though she was trying to stand back up. She produced no major noise, but the two of them heard a distinct, low groaning noise, which only served to give them nightmares for a few nights.

"Ah crap, what do we do?" One of the soldiers asked, with the other responding with only a plain shrug. Above them, the crowd cheered even louder, and a bell rang, indicating the start of the game. Already, there were people fighting with some form of weapons. "Shit, it began already. Come on, we don't have time for her! FPS will kill us if we're spotted out here!" One of the soldiers said. The other looked down at Lyrica helplessly, unsure of what to do. The other soldier was already well on his way towards a spare exit (only for approved officers, of course), angirly motioning for his partner to get a move on. At last, the other soldier knew that his own hide was more important, and decided to follow his partner out of there, leaving Lyrica to writhe on the floor, all alone in the dangerzone.

Thus, the first true game has officially begun, and Lyrica was already down and out.

5pb. Phase 5: In Which Zyng and Quantic try to locate their beloved or reviled leader

The bells did indeed ring, and in a solid jiffy, every member of the groups selected, all randomly placed by various soldiers one at a time, began to run for their lives. It was immediate that the maze was just as deadly as FPS's sense of dark humor, with the walls commonly shifting in front of a running contestant, or the oh-so popular knife wall appearing around each and every corner, always ready to stab an unsuspecting contestant who dared to hold onto a wall in order to pivot around. There were walls that burned to the touch, floors that shocked a person after first stepping on it, and some on the ground that were laced with either a tripwire or some slippery substance, forcing the person down, most of the time onto some tacks convientely left behind by the soldiers. I haven't even begun to describe the complexity of the maze, or the amount of arms that lay about the ground, ready to be picked up and used against the enemy man.

Zyng, being one of the first contestants to officially enter the maze, ran like the scaredy cat she was. She didn't show it in her face, and she cleary didn't show it out loud with either Quantic or 5pb., but deep down she was reeling in her disturbance, barely keeping her composure as her paranoia kicked in. Commonly, she had to look behind her back, thinking that someone was deliberately sneaking up on her, a dagger in their hand and a handgun holstered within their jumpsuit (though that wasn't allowed), though she had to quickly snap back into reality in order to see if a wall was ready to crush her. She was the proud Princess of Foreheadbook, which meant that all of her life was filled to being catered for, never having to stress out with even lifting a finger. Her family was quite the royal one, and if there was ever any incident that could cause dear Zyng to be in considerable danger, she would have men of the royal army come and assist her at once. There was never a point in her entire life that she had to exert any form of strength or intellectual prowess in order to succeed later on.

Hell, the only real time she had to exert any form of…anything, was when her father specifically told her to travel to Gamindustri, in order to express how great and powerful their own landmass was, and either strike a deal with the Governments of the land, or threaten to conquer them in the future. True, it was quite a good move for a developing nation such as Foreheadbook, but there was something really off about it. Please, take a minute to think about what could be wrong with it, before you happen to read the following sentence. You see, Princess Zyng was exactly what it said on the tin: a princess. She was one of the most powerful members of a rather powerful nation, and if anything were to happen to her, the whole nation could have possibly erupted into chaos, leading to its quick and painful downfall. So what does her father do? He sends her on a dangerous quest to a foreign land, where nobody truly knows of her, though once they find out, kidnapping or worse could possibly occur.

And now that she thinks of it, the army men that accompanied her on that boat were all sick, and close to the brink of death, barely able to hold any weapon in order to protect her personal well being. When they arrived on Lan16, they barely stood a chance, and that was how she ended up here in the first place. Hell, while she couldn't recollect the entire event that lead to her prescence here, she remembered that the thing that did most of them in was not man, nor beast, but trees that simply had vines that lived. The vines were extremely thin, and they only attacked one at a time, but one-by-one, every soldier with her was either hung or dragged off into an unknown fate. She was soon dragged off, having no experience at self-defense, and promptly woke up in a cell with some deranged lunatic.

_Father, I must admit, you are a smart man, but certainly, this was quite a stupid one, yes? _Zyng thought to herself as she continued running, turning every corner cautiously after almost being shot by an arrow around the knees after hitting a trip-wire. Once, she spotted a balding, fat man, but luckily he did not spot her, running in the opposite direction, not to be seen by her again. That was good, because he had a freaking _spiked bat_ (which also pissed Zyng off, because she had yet to find a weapon lying around on the ground, and even if she had no idea what to do, at least she would be viewed as a threat). She continued running forward, but another wall shifted right in front of her, almost splitting her in half if it weren't for her reflexes. "Damn, this is _not _how royalty should be treated! Honestly, when my father finds what you all did to me, oh, you will surely get it!"

She had to turn the other way, and continued running down another path, which she instantly regretted due to the floor being continuously slippery, and the parts that weren't being filled with rocks, meaning she still easily lost traction. Luckily the walls were not trapped, so she managed to hold on to herself, and allowed herself to continue forward, though it was quite haphazard. "Oh, what my father would do to them," Zyng muttered once more, angry that this was how she was being treated by those she never met. "If my daddy had his way, this whole place will be wiped off the map! You all should be ashamed of yourselves!"

As she ran, she felt her body grow tired, and seeing as how no one appeared to be around her, she decided to rest for just a little bit. She sighed, knowing that no matter what was happening, she would just have to live right through it. She placed a hand on a wall next to her, balancing her body weight as she tried her best to reclaim all of the lost energy she expelled from all of that seemlessly pointless running. However, in yet another regrettable decision, she yelped out loud, jumped, and quickly stayed away from that wall, writhing in pain as she held her arm towards her chest. She examined it, and much to her shock, she saw her entire palm scathed and black, seared completely from what had to be the heaviest burn she had ever experienced. She quickly darted her eyes to the wall, and much to her horror, it was burning red; inside the wall were burning pipes filled to the brim with hot water, turning the wall into quite the effective stove-top.

"Ah, bollocks, that was fucking…shit!" Zyng shouted plenty of profanity out to the world, which apparently was heard and beloved by the crowd above, who proceeded to go crazy once more; I guess people shouting swears from being burned is the new thing, or something. She jumped up and down, breathed in and out quickly and erratically, and barely kept her stance, intense pain radiating all throughout her body. "I am the Princess of Foreheadbook! Harming me will see to be the last thing you have ever done! I will kill you, dammit!" she shouted up towards the crowd, rousing them once more. Zyng's eyes were turning bloodshot from all of this. _Damn…damn all of these savages._

Speaking of savages, Zyng heard quite a loud snarl ahead of her, causing her to return looking towards the rest of the path. In front of her, standing only 10 feet away from her, was a clearly famished teen girl, breathing heavily, a large gash on her chest from what appeared to be an attempted bullet lodging. Her hair was twisted, its color a muted red, and her eyes matched the same hue. She had on a smile that was possibly even scarier than The Phantom's, and in her hand was actually quite a simplistic weapon. Hell, it wasn't even really a weapon, but an appliance often seen in some workshops: the all-common scissors. They were clean, and seem to function pretty well, and from the looks of things, the blades were both quite sharp. Easily capable of slicing through dozens of paper at once.

Or easily-rippable material like Maker flesh.

Zyng felt her jaw drop. "Y-You wouldn't d-dare use that on me!" Zyng stammered, feeling her spirit quickly leave her body. The other girl let out a small chuckle, and just like something out of a horror movie, the girl walked in such a way that Zyng felt like she was the undead. She was slow, but Zyng's mind was slower, barely able to process the whole act of fight/flight, which earnestly meant that she was most likely a goner.

The girl soon charged Zyng, and though the Princess wasn't in the mood for hearing, those good at hearing would probably hear her say: "I'mma friken cut ya neck!" The girl raised the scissors to be right around where Zyng's neck would be, and opened them up, just ready to snap off Zyng's delicate neck. Zyng was completely defenseless, with the only action she was really allowed to take was covering her face, hoping that she could somehow fight the girl off, though with her inexpertice, that was possibly impossible, if I do say so myself.

But thanks to deus ex machina, a wall just between the two of them shifted, revealing another path as the wall receeded into another. On the other side was the young Quantic, who was quite terrified herself, holding what appeared to be a glass contianer containing some form of clear liquid, though what it was is not known (there was a "toxic" label on it, so that couldn't be good at all). The young girl was still charging, completely unheeding the wall opening up next to her, which understandably worried Quantic once she entered her vantage point. Quantic, out of pure instinct, threw the contents of the glass out towards the girl, hitting her directly on the cheek and partially on the exposed wound on her chest. It was then that everyone found out what was in that bottle.

The young woman quickly stopped in her tracks, screaming as smoke appeared off of her cheek, her hand quickly covering it, though that proved to be stupid as the liquid transferred onto her fingers, causing even more pain. Her cheek shriveled up, turning to an almost darker color similar to Zyng's current wound. Whatever the liquid was, it was some form of highly corrosive acid, and it cleary showed. The girl crouched down as she continued to scream, her voice becoming hoarse from the constant neglect of water the world forced upon her. Quantic, however, still felt fearful that the girl will get up and attack her, so before the young girl could fully recover, Quantic smashed the glass onto the girl's head, causing the young teen to pass out on the spot.

Zyng finally saw who her mysterious savior was. "Q-Quantic? How did…but, what…" Zyng said, completely flabbergasted. Quantic shrieked and got into a comedic defensive stance, before realizing who addressed her.

"Zyng! I'm so glahd I fawnd you! Are yuoi alroight?" she asked, constantly looking around herself, just to make sure no one was attempting to tackle them down. Zyng was still in awe at the fact that this young, pathetic girl managed to save her life. How did find that glass, anyways, and was she fully knowledgeable over when that wall was going to open? Quantic looked to be a scaredy-pacifist on the outside, but damn, she didn't hesitate when it came to smashing that glass upon that poor girl's head. She actually wanted to say her thanks to Quantic, as any good Princess would do when someone saved them from a dishonorably death, and all of these words would've been perfect for the young foreigner. Instead, though, Zyng said this:

"Th-That's Princess Zyng to you!"

Quantic felt betrayed, and looked down disappointed. Zyng, surprisingly, felt bad for doing this, knowing that Quantic did save her own, royal life, and that was an act of true benevolence rarely seen even in Foreheadbook. Still, her pride and ego were quite large, and perhaps that masked the gratitude she actually wanted to say towards her comrade. Either way, Zyng wanted to change the subject, knowing that Quantic was her ally and all. "5-something-something, have you seen her?"

Quantic looked up, looked to the sky at first, but then looked down once more. "Have noi idear. I saw anohthar ladi woith a bwoidfold, but it woisn't her. I'm soirry, Zy-I moin, Princess Zyng," Quantic said bashfully, feeling a total failure right about now. Zyng sighed, scratching the back of her head with her good hand. This whole battlefield was really becoming quite the hot-spot.

Luckily, thanks to deus ex machina once more (you all have to love it), there was a huge screen above the arena, showing off what was possibly the greatest action during the game at that moment. Before, it actually did show the incident with Zyng and that other girl, and it rapidly switched so the fans could get a closer look at the action. Zyng quickly saw what was currently being displayed on such a screen. "Damn, Quantic, look up there!"

Both girls looked up towards the screen, and saw, much to there horror, Lyrica being cornered by three men, in what appeared to be a purely-metallic portion of the maze. From the looks of things, the guys were all powerfully armed, but poor Lyrica was sadly not. "Oh shit!" Zyng yelled, once more to the delight of the fans.

Lyrica broke out of that state of hers about five minutes after the soldiers left. It took her a few moments before her mind fully recollected itself, but once it did, she felt just as scared as her teammates. Unluckily for her, she was in a dark portion of the maze, and even worse, she was blindfolded, only having slits where her eyes would be, thus giving her some form of sight. She did what Quantic told her to do, and held her arm out, hoping to hit something. She saw what may have been a wall, but when she was about to touch it, it shifted, and she was almost impaled by an arrow fired by some random trap that was promptly disfigured. She shrieked, but was glad to see it missed. She knew she had to find her team, so she quickly sucked up any emotion she had, and quickly walked forward, making sure nothing was about to get her. For the sake of her own problems, she tried her best to ignore her hair situation.

She made it a good distance, but everything fell apart when she entered that purely metallic part of the maze. It was also dark, minus a couple of dangling lightbulbs, and in front of her were plenty of tripwires. While her sight was terrible, she thought that she saw some axes suspended on the walls around her, ready to slice her down once she stepped forward. However, her choices of movement were severely limited, as the way she entered was soon blocked off by a wall shifting suddenly, locking her in, unless she tried to trek through the heavily bombarded area in order to reach the other side, which was practically suicide. "Oh, I'm screwed," Lyrica grunted at herself.

_Lyrica, you can't just give up! Zyng and Quantic need you, and they may be beyond this path. If you stop here, how will you ever find them? _She contemplated in her head. She heard something that sounded like a gun being firedf in the background, causing her to shriek and bend down, even if the gun was not she felt it was all safe from that damn gun, she quickly stood back up, facing forward towards the other door, which felt completely out of reach. The traps were clearly there, and her visibility will certainly fail her, grind her to dust, and eventually kill her, dooming her two team members, scarring her party back home, and IF…

"I have to do it!" Lyrica said, taking a deep breath. Her team was possibly on the other side; that was what was motivating her at this point, and if that motivation were to fail her, she would certainly die right here in this horrible place. She didn't have her sight, but she did indeed have her intuition, and if she played her cards right, she would be able to carefully skip her way over to the other side, possibly bringing her closer to reaching her team, and thus victory for the match. All she had to do was stay calm, carefully balance herself, watch the shadows of the room, keep her eyes on the ropes around her, hold her breaths in case they end up causing her to trip, pray that wind is on her side…

"Fuck it, it's easier to run," Lyrica said, excusing herself to no one after swearing such a deep profanity. The tripwires were clearly not that strong, so if she just ran for it, she actually might just be able to make it on one, swift go. She took a step back, took a deep breath and, going against all her principles, ran like all forms of hell. Each tripwire was activated one-by-one, with the axes and other assorted objects springing to life, barely missing Lyrica as she made a swift run towards salvation. She winced and made a "ye-ye-ye" noise whenever an object was bound to hit her. By some miracle of the heavens, Lyrica actually made it to the other side unscathed, though she felt like she lost a few years off her life.

_Praise it now, girl, because you will never be that lucky again._

And indeed she never will, for once she regained her breath, the tiny slits that served as her eyes panned upwards, only to be greeted by three men standing outside the metallic portion of the maze. They were clearly on the same team, yet they still have not won because they refused to touch one another in any way. Lyrica couldn't get a good look at them, but whatever she saw, she clearly did not like one bit. One man was short and stout, holding what looked to be a machete; the other one was the exact guy Zyng saw, complete with the spiked bat in his hand; The third guy was hard to make out, but he had some form of sickle, and it was clearly used before, judging by the blood on the tip of it. She stood there, stunned to see the three of them.

"Well, what'ya know? I told you boys some nice chicks are in this!" The short guy said. The other two laughed. Lyrica couldn't see well, but she knew they were beginning to circle around her, like they were voulchers, and she was the rotting carcass. She still stood, motionless and scared.

"You were completely right, man. I don't dig the small hair, but hey, a chick is a chick!"

"Shit, she can't even see us, can she? This will be perfect!"

Lyrica couldn't move, but she still had the mentality to speak up. "Don't…P-Please don't do anything! I-I don't want to hurt you!" Lyrica stammered, covering her ears as she sanked down. The men laughed.

"Lady, you have nothing to fight us with! Hell, you're blindfolded! Besides, we can send you to Celestia early, you know? I highly doubt any of us will make it, so how about we have a little fun before we kick the bucket, eh?" The man with the bat asked. It came to Lyrica's attention that one of the men was also blindfolded, but something managed to rip a hole through the cloth, allowing him to see; this only increased the fear felt by Lyrica. The men continued to laugh, and one aimed his sickle right at her back, making her shiver.

"Yeah, now let us have some fun!" The short man said, quickly punching Lyrica in the stomach. Lyrica winced and fell to the floor on her knees, holding her stomach as, shockingly, the men continued to laugh like rapid hound-dogs. "Listen lady, we'll even make it simple. You won't even watch us with that blindfold on!" The short guy said, before he turned to the man with the bat. "Hit her again."

Lyrica heard that, and knew that she was done. She could best many monsters out in the wild, that was for sure, but when it came to actual people, she was completely defenseless to everything around her. She could never hurt a person, even if they were about to strike her down like this gent. It was just too much for her; too much.

_Remember the concert…_

_Dust in the breeze…_

_All they are is dust in the breeze…_

Lyrica had no idea how she did, and neither did the men, but once that bat came roaring down, Lyrica literally grabbed it, and flung it back to the man's face. The man was both in pain and in confusion, being thrown about on his own two feet as he felt his nose break in front of him. "How in the hell?" was the sentence each and every one of them, including Lyrica said to the whole scene. The guy with the sickle grew infuriated.

"How dare you, you bitch!" he yelled, and proceeded to run up to her, ready to impale that sickle into her back. Lyrica gulped, knowing that she wouldn't be lucky anymore, seeing as how the man was coming up from behind; she was clearly fucked now. _Dust in the breeze…_

The man with the sickle was sent flying right into the short man, as Lyrica managed to stand quickly, kick the man in the groin, and lift him with her foot alone, right into his other team-mate. The sickle slashed through the smaller man, and he quickly went down, wincing in intense pain as his other party member held his groin, crying his eyes out. Lyrica could only watch in horror of what she somehow did, not understanding how a girl like herself, especially when blindfolded, could manage to take out three, strong, armed men all by herself.

"H-H-How did I…?"

At that moment, Quantic and Zyng walked into the room, finally managing to get to Lyrica's position. Both managed to grab a weapon lying on the ground (Quantic with a boomerang, Zyng with a broken rapier), and were ready to protect their defenseless leader. However, once they got there, they stared in awe at the sight before them, with Lyrica somehow being the dominant individual in this battle that surely should have been her demise. "What in the world?" Zyng said, scratching her head once more.

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 5, para 2:_

"…I began to wonder if it is possible for people to get spontaneous strength out of just primal instinct. Does it truly work like that? Does that explain why many times the feeble overcome the hefty? It is truly bizarre, but what completely causes this strange onset of power? From what I learned from some of my patients, it could be because they were soon going to meet their end quite naturally…"


	24. PART 4: The Dead Goddess Incident

Chapter 30: In which the group manages to reach the factory

Everyone awoke around the same time, minus Cave. Our fellow maiden from Leanbox awoke about an hour before everyone else, and wasn't there when everyone awoke in unison. This worried Vert, for while the zombie-like creatures stopped their pursuit of them at some point during the night, she still recalled that massive monster that attacked them in the forest, and how serious those injuries Cave had received. While Compa was able to heal her completely, she won't be able to always do that, and with Cave going on alone, it was clear that she will probably not make it if something were to attack her by surprise. She was armed with that heavy gun of hers, but that didn't eliminate the worry Vert had for one of her closer comrades.

Nisa saw this apparent worry, and being the Heroine of Justice, she knew it was her job to try and keep the morale of her team higher than the sun above. "My Goddess, what worries you? Did you have a nightmare last night? Were those zombies getting on your nerves?" the Heroine asked, taking a seat next to the almighty leader of Leanbox. Vert seemed to break out of her trance, looked over at the Heroine of Justice, and gave her a lukewarm smile. This peeked Nisa's interests more. "There's nothing to fear, my Lady. If you fear for your safety, I promise I will protect you, no matter what happens!" Nisa reassured the Leanbox Goddess. Over on the corner of her eye, she saw Gust staring at her, particularly after Nisa said that previous line, which caused Nisa to shrivel just a little on the inside.

Vert still smiled, but she quickly looked down to the dirt floor below her. "Thank you, Nisa, I'm glad I have your word. However, I'm more worried about Cave. I don't see her anywhere, and I'm afraid she went to that factory alone. I don't know if we should pursue her or not. Oh, why would she leave without telling us?" Vert asked out loud, holding a hand to her head as she truly wondered where her faithful companion is. Nisa nodded her head, not really sure how to answer her Goddess friend, which made her feel rather terrible, knowing that a Heroine who failed to save everyone was nothing but a complete mockery of the justice board.

IF, who was stretching from just waking up, gave Leanbox's Goddess an oddly-made stare, and leaned against a rock next to the dying flames of one of the campsites. "Oh yeah, I haven't seen her all morning. Just relax, Vert, I'm sure Cave knows what she is doing. Knowing her, she wouldn't just go on ahead like an idiot," IF attempted to cheer up the poor Goddess. Vert sighed to herself, waving a hand towards her lovely comrade in order signify a thanks of some sorts. IF shrugged. "I'm assuming she went back to that body of that odd creature. It seems like something she would do."

Vert sighed once more, and looked across the lake, wondering if IF was true to her words. "You may be right, IF, but why does she never want anyone following her? I hope she realizes everyone is worrying about her," Vert said, losing herself to quite the deep thought. IF looked around the makeshift camp, seeing that everyone probably didn't even realize that the maiden of Leanbox was nowhere to be found. They were all still in the middle of awakening (Uni and Nepgear were not even up yet, still cuddling up next to each other. Neptune felt it was the cutest thing ever made, while Noire was flabbergasted, and told Neptune to not get the wrong idea), and those that did have awareness weren't necessarily worrying over anything. Still, IF felt that Vert was just talking hypothetically, and just nodded simply, hoping to keep worry in the camp as low as Makerly possible.

However, as they were in the middle of talking, a loud rustling was heard behind them, and all that were awake quickly grabbed their weapons and prepared themselves into a defensive position. It couldn't have been Cave, for the sound was appearing right next to them, while Cave went across the entire lake to get to her prime destination, if that was where she went to in the first place. The girls all expected the worst, and with intense stares and highly-elaborate poses, they were ready for either more zombies, more huge creatures, or even the Beastmaster himself. It will be one hell of a fight, but damn, it will be a good one as well!

The leaves continued to rustle uncontrollably, and as the sun rose above the horizon and the world once more became an orangish color, the bush became much more prominent in terms of appearance. Sweat broke out on the girls faces, and the anticipation was killing them. Well, they did not have to wait any longer, for the mighty bush began to break apart, and the stamping of the monster was becoming more prominent. The leaves broke apart, and the monster finally revealed itself…

…as that duck-like being Neptune was playing with just yesterday.

"Oh, hell yeah! Man, I love this guy!" Neptune said as she quickly let her weapon drop. She crouched down and started to quack towards the duck, who quacked energetically at the sight of his friend. It was, oddly enough, the same creature Neptune met before, and she knew this by heart because it had a strange scruff of hair under its chin, which gave it a fine distinction from the rest of his bizarre species. Neptune knew no other duck looked like this (there were others near the lake before), so she started to feel as though this duck was her true best friend, or at least her favorite animal best friend. The other girls simply sighed, and placed their weapons down, with Noire committing a facepalm for seeing Neptune act so foolishly towards a random duck-like being. However, Falcom was the first to realize something bizarre about this duck, something that others in her party should have noticed much more earlier than this.

"Hey, what's that on his back?" Falcom asked, causing the party to finally notice the thing that was, in full honesty, too easy to not miss. Indeed, there was something strange on the duck's back, though no one in earnest could accurately say what it was. It appeared to be a giant leg of an unknown beast, cooked to around medium-rare style, strapped to the duck rather haphazardly. Neptune looked at it funny, and in an attempt to open some form of conversation with the wild beast, she continued to quack towards it. Noire felt that this would disway the duck away from them (if they know what embarrassment and pride was), but queerly the duck appeared to be responding like normal, as though ducks actually had a hidden language through their quacks. Of course, Neptune learned it, and talked it like a pro. I will never understand that girl.

"Um, what are talking about?" Noire asked, admittedly curious as to what Neptune could possibly be talking over with a freaking duck that couldn't speak Gamindustrian. She knew it had something to do with that freaking leg, but this conversation was going on for ages; more like two minutes, but still. The rest of the cast just sort of waited patiently to see how long this will last, but everyone grew annoyed as no progress was being made at the moment. "Nep! Seriously, what are you talking about?"

Neptune and the duck finally concluded their tiny, little conversation, and Neptune shot a nice smile towards her favorite tsundere of Lastation. "Oh, nothing, Noiwey! He, who I just found out is a she, said that a weird person-thingy told her to come to us with that leg from a huge, dead monster. That weird person-thingy should be behind her, carrying even more meat that makes her feathers chap," Neptune said quite seriously. Now, that was a simple answer to a simple question, but everyone undeniably was shocked that Neptune actually was not only able to understand duck, but was also able to successfully translate all the words said by the duck. Noire wasn't that impressed, knowing that Neptune could also speak Dogoo and Zebfly perfectly and fluently. That's something to put on the wiki, no?

"A person-thingy? Wait, I know where that's from," IF said, standing to observe the leg a little more. The duck quickly grew defensively, quacking like mad at an individual she clearly wanted to either kill or eat, though Neptune must have cleared it up by quacking back at the duck, making the monster calm and relaxed. "Yeah, this is from that huge monster we fought! Damn, now that I'm looking at it, I'm actually pretty hungry."

Vert's head rose, and her face was filled with ponderous wonder. "Wait, the monster we fought? Then, the only person that could be with this beast is…"

Out of the bush stepped the next stranger to the party, though once she entered the newly-appearing sunlight, the party instantly recognized her. Why, it was our darling little Cave, who appeared to be carrying a rather large being over shoulder, sliced up to tiny bits and being held within a makeshift bag. She had a few scratches on her left thigh, still quite fresh, and her whole body was covered in muck and dirt, with her eyes looking quite weary. She gently dropped her monster-chunks onto the ground, and quickly took a seat on top of a rock, ready to fall back asleep.

For a little spell, no one addressed Cave, and Cave in return chose not to say anything to them. All of the meat was clearly cooked prior to all of this, and it was still warm to the touch, making some people starting to salivate; like Compa addressed before, heat quickly vaporized energy from them, and filled them all with the emptiness of hunger and starvation. The monster may be a horrific beast, but seeing it as a grand meat fit for a God or Goddess, they simply couldn't care less. Still, the Maid just sat there, looking up at the rising sun from the top of the trees.

"C-Cave?" Vert suddenly blurted out, folding her arms underneath her chest. Cave gave her a slight look, coughed, then looked back at the sky; it was clear that she was not all there, given her tired expression and "thousand-yard-stare" gaze. To many, it seemed like she came from some sort of horrific war, only fought by the most experience of warriors, of which Cave easily fits in. "Cave, where did you go?" Vert asked, more out of concern than vexation.

Cave coughed once more. "I went back to that fallen beast. I thought most of you would be hungry, so I cooked it and brought it here," Cave said, sighing as she continued to look up at the sky. Vert nodded to herself, though now she was growing angry, making everyone stand far away from her perch; if she actually ever grew angry beyond the chivalrous form, then all hell was about to break loose.

"What happened to you? You look like you went through a massive fight. Oh, was it cool? Did you win?" Ram asked, leaning over another rock as she stared intently at the young, hardened maid. Cave looked at her with tired eyes, and actually pulled off a slight smile; can't just not smile at a young girl, right? However, Blanc immediately grabbed her away, scolding the young lady for invading Cave's personal space.

Cave rubbed off some dust from her shirt. "I wasn't in a war. I was hoping that those things would be gone by midnight. I was sadly wrong, so it wasn't a pleasant journey to get back there. None bit or scratched me, so I'm not going to be a zombie anytime soon, but damn, they know how to throw things. You never know how horrible pebbles feel until 400 of them come raining down on your face like ballistic missiles," Cave lectured, standing up suddenly to stretch. The others in her party were already starting to grab the burned carcass, though their confused gazes never left Cave for a second. Vert, along with her trusted battle maid, suddenly stood up.

"Cave, why didn't you tell any of us that you were leaving? What if you got hurt out there? Why, you did, actually!" Vert yelled, stomping her foot down on the ground. The rest of the group decided to eat the meat away from these two, just trying not to become mediators or victims of the confrontation. Cave shrugged, displaying nothing but apparent boredom on her face.

"Yes, I agree that I was hurt, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Besides, it was too dangerous for the rest of you. Most of you are pretty important people, so I didn't want to risk hurting any of you," Cave responded, grabbing some grass off the ground, looking completely unconcerned about this conversation. The rest of the group remained quiet, even making Neptune appear to be the quietest person in all of Gamindustri.

Vert's cheek was puffed, her face completely red with rage, her eyes slanted, with her pupils taking on a glow, signifying that Green Heart was ready to burst out. However, there was not enough power on this landmass for her, so this was about as far as she was able to reach; still, this fact did not hinder the fact that she looked rather disturbing. "Are you saying you're not important? H-How dare you say that!" Vert stammered, freaking out the two White Sisters (Blanc promptly glared at Leanbox's Goddess). Still, Cave did not yield her impassive expression, and she continued to play with the grass below her.

"Forgive me, my lady. I didn't mean to worry you like this. I will promise you that I won't do it again. Still, I did it so that everyone will be happy, that's all," Cave explained, being offered some food from Rom, though she politely declined it. "Besides," she continued, "I think I stumbled on something that may be more concerning."

Vert was still pretty angry, and while her eyes reverted back to normal, she refused to fully calm down, turning away from the rest as a few tears began to appear. The rest of the party decided to hear what Cave meant. "What, those zombie things are stronger? A high-level dungeon was discovered? Concerning this place, it's probably both," IF asked with sarcasm. Compa looked at her for a few seconds, before turning away, making IF quite confused.

Cave shook her head. "I have not seen any of those zombies since the bells rang about an hour ago. However, you may have noticed that I came back from the forest right behind you, when in reality I should have appeared on the other side of the lake, correct?" she asked, with most of the cast nodding (Neptune was busy playing with that duck-thing; by the way; was everyone in the cast seriously omnivores, with no vegetarians in sight? Seriously, everyone's eating the meat!). Cave gulped, and said: "well, I had to run from some of those beasts after I ran out of ammo. The bells soon rang, and I found out that I had no idea where I was.

"I walked for a little bit, and soon I came across a clearing. This being here, who I brought along because simply, she wouldn't stop following me, started to quack obnoxiously. I managed to quiet him, but by then two men appeared in front of me, armed with nothing but machetes; they were dressed exactly like the men that attacked us here on the lake. They must have noticed the food I had, so they immediately tried to tear me apart, though because I had a heavy gun on me, both fell unconscious after a swift smack. Either way, the being here ran forward into a clearing, and as I was following him, a building came into full view, surrounded by a mighty concrete wall, with an entrance that was blocked by a heavy, metal door. I couldn't tell the size of the building, since it was surrounded by dozens of trees, and the lighting was not perfect at the time.

"However, from looking at it, and noticing the antenna on top of the supposed roof, I concluded that this is the factory that we are currently looking for. The being here soon smelled Lady Purple Heart, and that is how I got back here," Cave finally finished her long speech. This made everyone look up in shock, with even Vert now looking completely interested.

"Wait, you found the building? Thank Goodness…someone wake up Miss Nepgear and Uni; I think they would be hungry right about now!" Falcom said, with Noire hesitantly getting up to poke her own sister and her sister's friend. Nepgear and Uni soon woke up, looking straight into each others eyes, smiling, but soon remembering that a whole group was watching them, making them quickly break their cuddling position. Neptune made a smirk towards Noire, who quickly looked away in response.

After a boring scene of the two Candidates eating and being notified of the advancement Cave made during her quest for the fallen monster, Nepgear had this to say. "Goodness, are you okay? I would have gone with you, Miss Cave!"

Cave chuckled to herself, and quickly made a hand-waving gesture. However, her grin soon faded away into oblivion, replaced now with a serious mien, even more serious than her general postulation on appearance. "Yes, this is all good news, but the thing is that I said that something was concerning. You see, I did find the building, but there was a major problem at first sight."

"What was it?" Noire asked, fearing for the worst. Cave looked back to the ground, now scratching her hair with a shaky hand; she looked like she was ready to pass out at any second.

"The two men I fought off were not the only ones there. When I got to the clearing, I saw the mighty wall, but outside it were probably twenty of those individuals, all dressed exactly like the men here at the lake; Hell, I recognized one of the men out there, and he was still injured. Most of them were guys, but I saw a few women as well, and each had some sort of gun and sword. From the looks of it, they were busy trying to saw open the door to the building, though they were having plenty of trouble.

"I would've fought them, but I had no ammo at this point, and being injured and alone, there was no way I would succeed against twenty of those people. All I'm saying is that if we continue on towards the factory, we need to be prepared for a fight," Cave said, looking towards the recently-awakened Uni. "I know killing is a terrible thing, but they will be hostile. If we have to kill some of them, then so be it," Cave said, sighing throughout her words.

That sent a horrific tinge down everyone's spines. Nepgear was extremely concerned, not enjoying the fact that another bloodbath may soon remerge in her thoughts. "No, that's terrible? I know injuring them is also bad, but wouldn't that be more…humane?" the young candidate asked, her eyes filled to the brink with thoughts of horrific outcomes and oh, so many horrible images that made "Scratchface" look tame in comparison. IF was still focusing her major attention on the "confusing-emotional" Compa, but she did still manage to hear both the Candidate and Cave.

"Nep, I wish I could say not to actually…_kill _them, but Cave is right. They will be hostile, and some may not let up, even after we injure them beyond fighting. It's scary, but we have no choice," IF said, placing her arms behind her head. Compa must have took offense at what IF said, for she quickly shot her life-time friend a horrendous glare. IF grew even more concerned, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. "Compa, you're not thinking about last night, right? We couldn't do anything for the guy, alright?" IF tried to rationalize to her best friend. Compa only looked at her one more time before burying her face in her knees.

Cave clapped her hand against her knee, clearing off any excess dust. "It is regrettable, but right now, we are currently just trying to survive. Celestia doesn't hurt those that do what will help them survive, so we will do what we must," Cave summarized, picking up her terrifyingly heavy Gatling gun, making sure to reload it for whatever encounter she would find herself in again. "Either way, we should eat first, and head out when the sun's out. It's going to be hot as hell, but we will be able to see at least _something _through the forest."

Everyone soon nodded, a plan being made. There was enough of that monster for everyone twice, so no one went hungry. For a while, everyone remained quiet, eating their respective meal as they observed the land of Lan16. All of the purple was finally gone, and the world was once more encased in a shell of orange, much to the dismay of Neptune, though she still found some solace in playing with the duck-like being.

"Iffy…" Compa suddenly drowned out. IF turned to her.

"What's up, Compa?"

"Why didn't you let me save him?" She asked, now looking directly at IF's face. IF and, randomly, Nisa looked up at the medic, who looked completely deranged, indicating that she was crying quite a lot throughout the long and painful night. IF sighed, and fell to the floor on her back.

"Compa, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I couldn't help it, and neither could you. You tried your best, Compa, but if you continued to drag him into our camp, those things would've grabbed you _and _him, and they may of gotten all of us in the end. It's horrible, I know, but please, just try to think that he is in a better place," IF said, not really sure how she was supposed to cheer up her life-long friend. This was quite the "iffy" subject (heh).

Compa looked down once more, and IF knew she was losing her. _Damn, I know it's bad, Compa, but please try to understand! Man, I sound like a sociopath right now,_ the brunette thought, trying to strategize what she would say next. Nisa looked like a candidate for supporting her, but she also seemed to be at a loss for words. With a heavy sigh, IF sat up, ready to feel embarrassed over her next selection of words.

"Compa, you're my best friend. I already lost Ly-5pb.; I still can't get over that. If…If I were to lose you, Compa, I…" IF found herself producing some heavy tears, and she quickly turned her head away, barely able to contain the sniffles that were easily becoming much more apparent with each and every second. She suddenly realized that losing Lyrica, Compa, and maybe the two Purple Sisters would horribly harm her in the end. Nisa knew that the brunette was out, so she quickly jumped in to do what she did best: save the day.

"IF's right, Compa! I have not known you two as long as you and miss IF, but I can already tell that you are her best ally! I can't imagine a friend losing a best friend, especially in a case like this. Hell, even with that, I care for you, Compa, as does every, single, comrade that helps me! You are our medic, the only one that really knows how to treat us correctly; without you, Cave may not have pulled through! So, in a way, you are all our best friend's, and while it is a shame to lose a soul that finally found retribution in his dark ways, his sacrifice allowed us to save you! Please, lady Compa, know that he, along with 5pb. and even Captain U.S. Les are now watching us from Celestia, and that they want you to be safe throughout the rest of your life!" Nisa suddenly gave a speech. Compa's eyes opened wide with shock, as did IF's, who managed to suck in the remnants of her sadness; image, I presume, means more than actual emotional input here on Gamindustri.

Compa then looked down to the ground again, making sure her gaze never wandered over to where the dead warriors lay. IF sighed once more, continuing to eat whatever she had of the beast. Nisa was quite surprised that she succeeded in helping them out, though how much she truly helped Compa was up in the air. However, her gaze soon went back to her former friend, the grand Alchemist of Lowee, a gaze that she wished never occurred. The Alchemist appeared distraught at Nisa, for whatever reason, and both quickly averted their eyes away from one another. It was troubling for the Heroine of Justice to act like that, but what else could she have done? _Now that I think about, what if I lost Gust? What if I was lost? Would…would Gust care? Sh-She had to, right?_

For the rest of the time, the girls just ate in silence, barely making a peep as the sun rose ever higher. Some of the Heroines even decided to bathe in the nice lake, feeling quite refreshed in the water, taking the opportunity to provide some decent fanservice to those that don't mind the fact that most of them _still had wounds that ran all about their bodies_. Eh, whatever gets people through the night, I guess. Some, like Falcom and Noire, even took the opportunity to wash off some of their clothes, allowing their "dirty" bar to go down. Yes folks, this game has something as stupid as a "dirty" bar.

Uni and Nepgear were on one side of the lake, close to the camp but slightly farther than anyone else. They were in the middle of slight bathing, taking off their current attire (which was being air-dried off on the coastal area) but leaving on their underwear, in order to protect their modesty from the power of, eh, the animals of Lan16? Either way, this change in appearance made both of the Candidates constantly look away from one another in embarrassment, often hiding their "lady" parts as they washed away any dirt and grime collected in the forest. However, Nepgear continuously caught sight of Uni's wounds, some still fresh from the previous night, making the Planeptune Candidate constantly worry about her. It was clear that Uni was trying to clean off her previous shames, but for now, it didn't look like she was trying hard enough.

_Oh Uni, _Nepgear thought to herself, going back to washing her thighs carefully. Uni made another look to her, than once more looked away in shame. _What do I do? She doesn't want anyone else to know about this, but I don't think I'm enough. Goodness…Uni, I want to make you happy. What can I do?_

Apparently, Nepgear immediately found out what she was going to do. Uni was now turned away from her, bending down in order to clean off her knees, making Nepgear blush as, well, you get the idea. Either way, Nepgear quietly moved behind Uni, quietly enough to not generate any noise from the mini waves she was producing. Uni soon stopped washing her knees, and began to look towards the sky, stretching out her arms as she watched a cloud roll by. She had absolutely no clue that the Purple-haired candidate was right behind her, ready to pounce on her like a lioness to her prey. If you have a better connection, I am all ears.

"Heh, I hope it won't be warm today-uaghhh!"

Uni was caught completely off-guard by the sudden presence of two arms wrapped around her waist, which pulled her close to a target that she was unaware of. She immediately slouched, fearing that a river monster ended up snatching her, but once she felt the warmness of a standard, living being like herself, she began to calm down, though it was clear that her mindset of a tsundere was about ready to kick in.

"W-Who's holding me? L-Let go!" Uni shouted as she began to squirm, holding onto the other's hands, trying to yank their grip off of her. She felt the calming breath of the opposing person, and her nerves began to relax and feel at ease, though Uni still did not trust her senses to any degree. She wasn't facing in their general direction, but certain as it was, some of the crew were looking at them funny, with Neptune once more teasing Noire about this apparent, er, "lovely" scene. Noire made her shut up, saying that Nepgear was only holding onto Uni for a different, less perverted reason. At least, that was what Noire wanted.

Uni never did managed to turn around and see who her captor was, but when she noticed strands of purple hair going down her left elbow, she easily identified who was stupid enough to do this. "Nepgear, what are you doing? Everyone's going to see!" Uni said, making sure her voice was much more quiet, just to make sure no commotion was generated from this odd scene. Nepgear, making sure her arms were snuggly around Uni's waist, nestled her head on Uni's back-side of the neck, smiling as Uni began to calm down.

"Sorry for scaring you, Uni. I just wanted to hug you, that's all," Nepgear said, still resting her head on Uni's back. Nepgear didn't seem to be so embarrassed by this scenario, but Uni was blushing like a…damn, I got nothing for this. It made Uni naturally angry, but at the same time, she was actually pretty happy that Nepgear decided to take her time and hug her. It was a strange grouping of oddities, but hey, this was a person from Lastation, after all.

"Okay, but can I ask why? I'm not good with surprises, you know," Uni demanded, growing ever-more impatient with her purple-haired friend. Nepgear let out a chuckle, and continued to hold onto her dear, little friend.

"Because we're friends, and I just want to show that I care for you," Nepgear said in a bashful manner, as though what she said was much more embarrassing than hugging your best friend in nothing but your underwear. Uni's blush became much more prominent, and she jumped a little by feeling a sudden bit of breath on her collarbone. She felt so embarrassed, but she was indeed glad that Nepgear was here with her, possibly because it made her feel quite relaxed, a feat in this dark portion of Gamindustri.

"I-I see. Well, great, what should I give you then? You better not be picky!" Uni asked, turning around now to face Nepgear directly. Both of their eyes stared directly at one another, and it seemed that they were lost in a trance quite unlike the ones they often stumbled upon. It made them forget the world for just a little while, but after holding one another for at least twenty seconds (Uni didn't realize that she was hugging Nepgear back, albeit not as full as Nepgear's), both of them broke their embrace, rubbing their hands through their hair in embarrassment.

"Um, well…don't worry about it, Uni. I just wanted to see you smile. Goodness, I would never ask for anything from you," Nepgear said, still looking towards Uni, still wearing nothing more than the very underwear upon her body. Uni blushed at her casual appearance, and quickly turned away from the other Candidate, a red streak moving across her cheeks. Nepgear tilted her head, confused by this reaction. _Maybe I shouldn't have done that after all. I couldn't even make her smile, _Nepgear thought with a frown, feeling as though she failed her best friend. However, with a curious eye, Nepgear noticed that Uni's mouth began to curve up, and though she wasn't able to fully see her best friend's face, she knew that this indicated a slight smile being formed. Even though Uni was now done talking with Nepgear, the purple-haired candidate smiled, and went on and finished her semi-bath.

However, Nepgear noticed something in the trees off in the distance, something so vague and shrouded in shadows, she didn't know if it was actually there. Similar to how she saw something in the dark last night, the object of her interest simply stood towering with the rest of the trees, not moving a single muscle, if it had muscles to begin with. It was once more hard to make out, but by looking carefully, and thanks in part to her good eyesight, she could make out a snake-like head, with eyes that glow a sinister red, as though a mammoth-size snake was simply observing their every move. Nepgear knew that no one else was currently looking in this direction, but that only served to make her feel less at ease. She quickly turned her gaze back to Uni, who was in the process of placing her dress and pants back on (how she managed to dry herself, I do not know); she was about to call for her, but when Nepgear turned her head once more to face the being in the trees, there was nothing left to show what was there. It was as if Nepgear never saw the being to begin with.

_What is that thing? Why do I keep seeing it?_

Eventually, the group finished off their cleaning, drying, and part-socializing, fully clothed now and prepared to continue onward through the forest. Neptune was quite ecstatic to be moving again, and grabbed the duck-like being in preparation of making it her pet; sadly, Noire made her drop the duck-like being, saying that this was probably its home, and she had no right in changing that. Neptune was sad by this, but she had to agree with her Noirey, so she let the being down, who was actually also sad to part ways with her new friend. Such a sad scene, though Neptune remained hopeful in knowing that she will meet the duck-thing again.

The group grabbed their equipment, and continued forward into the depths of the forest. Strangely, though, there was no sun anymore, at least once they reached a brushy area. At first, the group felt that this was natural, given that the trees gave them a blanket away from the heavy sun. Yet, Nisa, when looking up, realized that the sky was still visible out here, and yet the light from the sun was not being generated. What she saw, instead, were heavy, gray clouds moving to block the celestial embodiment, diluting the orange coloring of the landmass. The world was soon enveloped in a strange coating gray and blue, with green becoming much more prominent in the trees, making it look like an actual area for once.

"Crap, this place can get storms, too?" Falcom said, alarmed by the fact that she didn't bring her case for carrying her mighty sword (she left it back in Corporatol City). The group looked up, and they agreed with Falcom; so far, they have yet to see a storm here on Lan16, and it seems that the first one was now brewing above them. While only dark clouds, Everyone knew that the ominous appearance of the sky indicated a heavy rain, and not one involving a deranged, serial killer. Most of the group sighed in vexation, but decided to just continue on, hoping to get through to the factory before this onslaught of liquid smashed against them (man, that sounds so awkward).

It seemed that the group did not change in terms of previous emotion. Vert was still angry at Cave, Compa was still angry with IF, and little Gust was still hesitant around Nisa. Uni stood a little bit away from Nepgear, and the White Heart dynasty hanged back from the rest, as the two, young sisters often stopped to look at a gross spider something (they stopped doing this after Ram placed a centipede on Blanc's hat. The CPU of Lowee did _not _take this well). Nisa sighed at their predicament, feeling as though the group was growing weary of this landmass. _I swear, there is no justice to found in our party. If we stay here any longer, we'll all surely go mad!"_

As soon as she thought the word _longer_, a bit of water hit her hair. Nisa stopped in her tracks and looked up to the graying sky. The abundance of clouds made the sky a dark gray, with the clouds moving quickly through the atmosphere; as a sign of them growing too heavy to contain the massive amount of hydrogen oxide, tiny droplets known as rain began to fall towards the land. It was not heavy yet, but the group knew it was going to grow heavier as time wore on. "Watch out, cadets," Nisa began, rubbing a hand through her hair to dry off any excessive rain-water, "we're going through a heavy one!"

Neptune sighed, looking downtrodden as her sword (dear god, why is she carrying a slender sword twice the size of her?) scraped the dirt on the ground below. "Aw man, that sucks. I never liked the rain," Neptune said, though she immediately smiled again. This alerted Noire. "Guys, you know what a rainstorm means in story, right?" she randomly asked. Noire sighed.

"Not really, and we don't even know if this is actually a storm! Lastation experiences plenty of rainstorms, and this one is pretty tame compared to them!" Noire yelled, making Neptune snicker. This continued to make Noire feel uneasy.

"Well, Noirey, a bad rainstorm or not, every time a storm occurs, a couple things can happen. They could besuper, ugly, bad things, or the most awesomnest things Gamindustri has ever seen!" Neptune said, bringing her sword back up in the air, almost slicing off some of Nepgear's hair (which, of course, leads the young candidate to say "Goodness!"). Noire gave herself a facepalm, but it seems that Ram was quite interested in what Neptune had to say. Blanc tried to hold her back, but unfortunately for her, Ram's words began to come out.

"Oh, really? What could happen in a rainstorm? A freakishly tall mutant comes out to attack us? An awesome wave of awesome comes to destroy all evil? Oh, I want to know!" Ram said with great zeal. Rom simply nodded in agreement, happy in her own, little world. Blanc and Noire only rolled their eyes.

Neptune patted her chest with a fist. "All those ideas are great, my fair lady, but still no cigar. Rain sucks on its own, but with a plot, it could mean bajillions of things! It could mean a few of us will make out, in order to disguise our tears of, um, what's the word, _ponderment…"_

Everyone around Neptune blushed heavily from this statement (Ram and Rom just looked on in confusion), making Neptune continue to look proud of herself. Noire tried to make her shut up, not wanting to make this newly acquired headache worse, but Neptune will not yield to simple stop signs:

"…or it could even mean that a dark, sinister, _evil_ event is going to occur, that will make us heroines be on the edge of our seats…"

Now Ram and Rom were getting scared, hiding behind Blanc as the rain came down even more ferocious. Blanc asked them how in the world they could be so scared, since they were able to easily fight against terrifying monsters in the past; both of the little sisters, in their respective way of answering things, said that this was completely, and I mean _completely, _different.

"…or it could mean that we'll enter this awesome, totally over-budgeted finale, where the good vs. evil battle of the century finally commences! If that's the case, we better win this time!" Neptune finally finished after holding her thoughts too many times. Now Ram and Rom were jumping up and down, excited about thinking over how epic a final battle would look in the rain. Speaking of which, the rain wouldn't let up, and if it wasn't for the trees all around them, the party would have been completely soaked to the bone.

"Nep, stop filling them with archetypes. I've never been in a big fight in the rain, but I think it really means that everyone would get pneumonia from fighting in it. Seriously, does anyone else feel kind of cold?" IF asked, huddling her arms together, trying to remain as warm as possible. Now that she said it, most of the girls realized that, yeah, it was starting to get cold. It wasn't freezing, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely a stark contrast to how Lan16 usually felt. With that, IF expected Compa to make a speech about how pneumonia kills thousands each year, but Compa only gave her the cold shoulder, looking down as the group continued forward. _Jeez, Compa, at least try to be happy…_

Vert, while still angry at Cave, smiled, and folded her hands together quite eloquently. "While I do not agree with most of Neptune's, how do the kids say it these days, crack-pot theories, I do believe rain on such a hot landmass can be a sign of great things to come," Vert said reassuringly. Neptune puffed her cheek to Vert, but the others nodded, still trudging through the mighty forest of towering trees. For a moment, everyone was quiet, until a strange instance occurred where the whole world was enveloped in a bright light, though only for a split second. With a cry from Uni, a loud crash noise was heard; the rainstorm grew into a thunderstorm, almost like the one from Lastation; hell, it might as well have been the same storm!

"Come on, Uni; don't tell me you're still scared of lightning!" Noire said, using a piece of cloth to cover her head. Uni frowned at her, but a comforting arm from Nepgear calmed her down, though she flinched and quickly turned away from her. Once more, Neptune provided a hand to her mouth in a mocking tone towards Noire, which almost lead to a humorous, cartoonish fist to be shot towards her lovely face.

However, just as the fist was about to be made, Cave gave a hand sign that told everyone to stop. The crew quickly stopped everything that they were doing as the maiden of Leanbox crouched dow, taking her gun in hand and quickly brushing some of the taller stands of grass. Another flash occurred as she squinted her eyes, before she opened them again with a solid form of glee, or at least however Cave can express glee.

"Everyone, be quiet. The factory is just ahead. I don't think we're alone, though," Cave said, making everyone prepare their weapons. Cave tilted her head a little bit, and she stepped forward just a tad bit, when Vert came over to her and quickly grabbed her shoulder.

"No, Cave. If you have to go, you're not going alone," Vert said with a face filled with determination. Cave still did not show any emotion, still looking like she was ready to pass out, but she nodded in acceptance; she didn't want anyone to follow her while she scouted, but if the Leanbox CPU was practically forcing her to follow her orders, what other choice did Cave have on that matter.

The group slowly continued forward, the rain breaking through the leaves of the trees as thunder continued to sound all about them. Eventually, they finally reached the target Mattel wished them to get to; indeed, there was a mighty clearing, with an almost-destroyed paved road still visible against the raising grass. To the left of them was mighty, concrete wall that extended just as high as Cave said it did. The building was barely visible due to this, but with the darkened sky somehow _increasing _visibility, they were able to make out what appeared to be a slanted roof, which has clearly seen better days. With another flash from the sky, illuminating the whole area around them, the building's roof became much more prominent, looking completely rusted and decayed, because this adaptation needs more brown in its palette.

However, the building and wall was not the major thing of notice. When the group arrived at the clearing, they saw right in front of them the people that Cave warned them about. From the trees that surrounded the area to the wall itself, there had to have been roughly thirty people, both men and women, who were all either armed with machete's or a strange, pirated form of a machine gun. Cave identified the two she knocked out with her own gun, and IF instantly recognized the captain from last time, along with the sniper that hid in a tree. It seemed that they were quite jumpy from their previous encounter, as the men Cave knocked out continuously looked over their shoulders, sometimes even swinging their machete's in defense. It was quite laughable, really.

"Damn, Cave, you were right. How many of these guys are there?" Falcom asked as she placed her sword on the ground, crouching in the shade in order to conceal herself. Another flash illuminated the world, and some of the strange men jumped along with Uni, some nearly firing their weapons in response. So far, none of these cretins discovered our heroines, but if noise like the one Uni just made keeps occurring, they would be discovered eventually. Noire quickly placed her hand over Uni's move, quieting the Candidate for a short time.

IF was looking around the opening, and saw the people trying to saw open the door into the factory. "There they are. Man, they aren't doing well," IF commented in a hushed voice. The group looked over at the door, where dozens of sparks were flying all over the place. There were at least three men operating some sort of cutting mechanism, though judging by how much they were affecting the door (which is to say, not much), the cutting mechanism was not the best. Cave made another gesture, and everyone crouched as far as they could into the brush, not making a single noise.

"I hear them talking. Crap, it's probably a bad conversation," Blanc said, suddenly realizing that the words she was hearing were definitely nothing at all interesting. In fact, the conversation was quite comedic. Let us hear these wise words, shall we?

"Hey, open the door already! We just want to talk like civilized men!" One of the cutters yelled at the top of his lungs, still trying to get through this gate, which was becoming a futile effort.

Apparently, someone was right on the other side of the door, who had quite a young voice, though they were probably as old as sin. "If you want to talk peacefully, then why in the world are you _sawing _our door?" the man yelled, bringing up a logical point that was probably too difficult for the sawers to accurately answer. The men on the outside were strangely offended, as one stopped sawing in order to pout and shout angered profanity.

"Well, you don't have a _doorbell_, sir! You haven't responded to our knocks, and so far, we haven't found another entrance. The only way we know is to break down your door. Now, open the damn thing!" Another sawer shouted towards the man on the other side. The heroines from Gamindustri were simply shrugging as this strange tirade of fighting continued before them.

"Dear Celestia, you are all so naive! You could have used the same, lame-ass excuse from last time, and I may have actually believed you! What, don't girl scout cookies today? Seriously, you call us stupid, you fat cow!" The young voice called back. The man on the other side was filled with rage, his fists clenching, accidentally losing hold of the cutting mechanism, making the other two scramble in an attempt to pick it back up. Falcom was about to move one of her legs, but IF extended her arm out, trying to see how this whole scene would unfold. Another flash of lightning, and Uni was freaked out once more.

"Fat cow? I'm skinny, you little rat! Oh, when we saw through this door, you will know the feeling of freaking, everlasting pain!" the man yelled, picking up the machine once more and attempting to slice through the heavy door. The other two with him only sighed, knowing that even now their efforts will be futile in the long run. The lightning did not zap away their woes, and through this damn event, they were simply not getting anything accomplished that they had hoped.

When the machine turned back on, the rain finally began to pour down. It started off easily, of course, but once the engine was able to hold it, the rain came down harder, the grass-once-orange turning into a sickening green, with a thin mist beginning to form above. If only the road below the growing weed was visible in a much more profound manner; you may have begun to see the lighting effects this game has to offer!

"So, uh, what do we do?" Neptune quickly whispered to the group, getting quite anxious as the scene before them appeared to have stalled greatly. Noire rolled her eyes, but even she had to admit that doing nothing while enemies were standing before them was not settling well with her. The rain, of course, was not helping in the slightest, and even though the thicket covered the majority of the lot, the trees occasionally had the gall to shower water upon them from their very leaves.

Cave continued to observe the scenario before them. "It seems morale is low. The rain isn't helping them in the slightest, so they shouldn't be so inclined to fight back. Perhaps we should find another way in," Cave observed as she spoke. She accidentally rose her voice at one point, leading one of the strange men to look their way, but the rain started to pour down harder, making him quickly try to cover himself, swiftly forgetting that he saw Falcom's head through the thicket.

Vert grew confused. "I don't mean to question you, Cave, but if these men can't find another way in, will it be possible for us? This wall looks rather tough," Vert speculated, dusting off her battle-style dress, which was quickly getting stained with mud. Cave shot her a look.

"Forgive me if I sound condescending, my lady, but these people aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. I'm sure there is another entrance that they didn't bother to look for," Cave said, while bowing in order to show she meant no harm. Vert nodded to her, agreeing that these people, as odd as they appear, were clearly showing off that they most likely never finished grade school. How charming.

"Well then, might as well look. Kind of hate standing in the rain," IF said, brushing off her hair, which was quickly growing a darker color. The rest of the party quickly agreed (Ram was about to shout, but Blanc held her mouth closed), and slowly, like the grass against a sharp breeze, moved slowly away from the clearing making sure the men did not see them.

However, their moves were quickly stifled when a strange buzzing noise was heard.

"What in the…" Uni trailed silently as the buzzing grew in intensity. Apparently, the group was not the only one to hear the strange, foreign noise. The men (And some women; never forget that, game developers) stopped whatever they were doing in order to look towards the stormy sky. Even another flash from lightning didn't set them off, as the buzzing quickly outweighed the loud crash of thunder. Even Uni wasn't scared by it!

"Hey, you making that noise in there? Cut it out, dammit!" one of the men with the machine yelled, dropping the saw down to the floor, accidentally cutting the other man (who scampered about, holding his bleeding foot like a madman). The conversation was about to occur once more.

"Hell no! That isn't you? God, this is really not helping my headache in the slightest," the voice yelled from the other side. This answer did not bode well with the men on the other side, who quickly bursted into a fit, now randomly slamming his fists into the door. The Heroines of Gamindustri watched in bafflement as the two exchanged verbal blows with one another. Even in this sudden rainstorm, it was pretty hilarious.

"I know it's you in there! Stop making that noise! Do you seriously think that it will push us away from you? Oh, how wrong you truly are, you freaking sod!" the man outside yelled, continuing to slam his fists into the metallic door. With each slam of the fists, the buzzing continued to grow louder, to the point that most of the heroines had to cover their ears.

"I'm telling you, it is not me! Seriously, though, can you please leave?" The man on the other side yelled back, most likely holding his own hands toward his ears. For the next minute, both of the men continued to yell some extreme profanities at one another, some that made even Blanc blush. The buzzing continued to escalate, to the point that everything in nature around them either silenced their cries, or the sound simply outweighed them by a long shot.

The rest of the people outside the door were starting to walk around completely aimlessly, all aiming a gun towards either the sky or the top portions of the various trees about. With every flash of lightning, the group jumped, expecting something horrific to happen, though nothing ever did. Not once did any of the people even try to look at our Heroines. The sound just kept getting louder, though now the sound began to, as some would say, get distorted, with the buzzing beginning to sound less like a machine, and more like a bunch of cicadas chirping the night away. It soon degraded towards a grainy television signal, making every person outside, including our heroines, anxious as to what on Gamindustri it was.

"Maybe we should go. I am not liking this," IF said, once more slowly moving along, before Compa stopped her. It was a weird move on the medic's part, for most of the time Compa was unable to ever stop anyone in their tracks, be it that her reflexes were horrible, or the fact that she simply did not like stopping people on a whim. This made IF quite worried, fearing that Compa was still mad at her, and thus would do something really stupid. "Hey, what are you…" IF began to ask, before she noticed the look on Compa's eyes.

Compa wasn't even facing IF, but her face was clear enough for IF to see. Her eyes were completely frozen in shock, wide open as she stared toward the sky in front and above her. She had no other emotion present on her face; only the frozen shock of her eyes, which were quite frightening, to say the least. IF grew confused, and she looked at the others in the party, and noticed that the exhibited the same emotions. While they weren't completely frozen, their faces were all filled with shock and wonder, including Neptune, who looked really concerned at this point. IF had no idea what on Gamindustri they were focusing on, but from what she could tell, it obviously wasn't good. In an instant, she shot her gaze towards their intended direction.

Out on the grey clouds was an orange cylinder, with a fiery streak behind it, indicating that it was, at least most likely, a fireball. It was far off, but it was clear that it was inching closer to them, with the cylinder soon turning into a human-like shape, though covered in fire (man, so much captain obviouses). The people out in the open had no idea that this thing existed, as their attentions were drawn to a completely different source (as of now, that door that simply will not open). The group all but knew that all hell was about to break loose.

"Guys, what is…"

A loud bang occurred, and a few screams were let out from the people in the open. A thick cloud of smoke was generating, obscuring the sights of our heroines, making plenty of coughs appear from our heroes. When it did clear (through the rain, thank Celestia), the group saw the bandits (or whatever they were) all scattered about the ground, some simply laying there, while others stared in shock at the force in front of them. The heroines felt their jaws drop at the sight.

Before them, in a mysterious blaze of flame, stood the long-dead Goddess of Lan16, Lady Turbo.

She looked as dead as before, though the heavy flames appearing throughout her body made all decayed portions of her obscured. Her gaze was still distant, and her stance, while in her CPU form, was zombie-like, with her arms hanging down, with her body slightly hunched. To many, she looked as though she was ready to pass out, or possibly was a victim from a sudden assault. However, her power was quite radiating, with the flames building up all around her, meaning she was perfectly aware. That, my friends, is quite terrifying.

"What…th-the fuck…" one of the goons stammered as he attempted to crawl away from the disturbing Goddess. Many of the people still conscious tried to do the same, crawling over the people that were slumbering in pain, a coma most likely the fate for most of them. Lady Turbo, or Lady Orange Heart, did not move a muscle, and continued to stand there, her eyes still looking out towards the trees, as though not a single soul resided within her abode. Those closest to her felt something being burned on them, which appeared to be their clothing, from the radiating flames Turbo was producing. This caused plenty to scream.

The guy who was slamming on the door was the most active compared to the rest, as he immediately stood up with his gun fully prepared to fire. "W-Whoever you are, you better get out of here, before I pump you with so much lead, you'll beg for bullet-time!" the man yelled. The rest of his squad simply rolled their eyes at his attempt to make an insult, which to many didn't even sound remotely like one. To me, it sounded like a shilled-in reference.

Lady Orange Heart still stood there, as though she didn't hear the man in the slightest, though it seemed that after he finished his line, a new fire-spud popped up in her hair (it wasn't burning her hair off, however). The man grew worried from this lack of communication going on, but he took a deep breath, trying to keep his calm. The man on the other side was getting confused. "What the hell is happening out there? Why did it suddenly get warmer?"

The man aiming the gun sneered at the others comment, and stood away from the door. "Oh, nothing big, except this disturbing, freaking lady just appeared out of nowhere, looking like zombie and burning the ground round her! I know we have our differences, but please, may I ask for your freaking help?" the man yelled at the top of his lungs.

Before the man behind the door could respond, Lady Orange Heart finally looked up towards the group of people, making them all gasp in extreme shock. By now, many could have told that the buzzing sound has suddenly abruptly stopped, though once she raised her head from a slumped position, the buzzing sound came back, this time at its highest intensity. Everyone, including our heroines, had to cover their ears, leading to many weapons dropping to the ground. The rain only fell harder to the ground below.

The sniper from before, who was shocked so much that his cuts reopened up, bared the brunt of the noise by forcing his gun to stay within his hands. His ears were being blown out, but he restrained himself enough to ignore the rising pain, in order to keep his aim on the mysterious women. "Screw this. I got her, boss!" the sniper yelled, aiming down his sights upon the mysterious Goddess. The leader of the group had his ears covered, so he didn't hear this sudden request, but if he did, he may have ordered the sniper to keep his gun down. He would have made a good decision.

The heroines, shocked in their own way within the mighty thicket, had to witness another horror right in front of them. Some of them felt that it was worse than the disturbing zombie attack they had to face in what felt like forever, while others felt that this was on par with that event. The only word that any of them said, was from Nisa, who quickly said, "Oh no."

The sniper fired his round, and the bullet flew straight into the air, implanting itself into Lady Orange Heart's shoulder. Her face still revealed no emotion, but her other arm quickly moved, in order to console the wounded appendage, which tried to leak blood, but the flames quickly disintegrated the red liquid. The sniper made a happy gesture, feeling as though he lead to some success in taking out this bizarre enemy, but his gestures quickly died when Lady Orange Heart slowly turned her head towards the man, her gaze still lifeless. The sniper started to slowly back up, keeping his gun-in-hand as the buzzing died down, sweat becoming apparent from nearly every pore of his body.

"Uh…" was the last word ever uttered by that sniper.

In a flash, quicker than anything ever seen on Gamindustri, Lady Orange Heart leaped from her original position towards the sniper. Out of nowhere, a drill-like spear was in her hands, raised high into the air, glowing beautifully against the gray sky. With no more than a content face, Lady Orange Heart brought down the mighty spear upon the unlucky man, making a distinct "Slawrp" noise, whatever that may sound like. The heroines were stunned by this, and the people around the sniper screamed and leaped back, desperately readying their guns for a major assault.

The Sniper's body was no more; the only remains were parts of his skeleton, which were charred beyond belief and identification. It was amazing to see him collapse; one second, he was fully intact and alive, with the next, particles of him quickly dissolved into nothing, leaving behind those disturbing remains. Was her spear-like drill filled with burning flames that destroyed him completely, or did the Sniper die by the intense heat Lady Orange Heart was producing? The world will never understand.

Nisa tried to stand up and help the group, but IF and Nepgear held her down. They may have said something to her, but it was hard to hear over the constant screaming from the goons. Apparently, from my best guests, they told Nisa that since such a horrific thing occurred to that man, the same may occur to her, and they can't risk losing another member of the group. Thus, Nisa was forced to watch as the horror unfolded before them.

It seemed that rational thought escaped the minds of all those out there, as they quickly fired all of their guns at the unsuspecting woman. Rifles, a sub-machine, even a shotgun fired upon her; thousands of ammo being spent upon one, singular target. Lady Orange Heart flinched with every bullet impacting her, the flames building up around her, engulfing her completely at one point. She had many wounds embedded on her flesh now, and it was not clear how in Celestia's name she actually managed to keep standing; even when in Goddess form, only a few rounds from various guns was all it took to bring someone to their knees. Yet, Lady Orange Heart continued to stand, barely moving a muscle to fix her own wounds. The goons all realized that most of their ammo was spent, and many tripped over their own feet as they feared what the Goddess would do next, seeing as how she refused to fall flat on her face.

The heroines all felt that, perhaps, the revived Lady Orange Heart would leave after that onslaught, or at least be too weak to continue fighting. However, much to the dismay of everyone, Lady Turbo quickly shot her head back up, her face now filled to the brim with anger, along with a mixture of determination and vengeance. The goons all screamed once more, and some tried to head directly towards our heroines, unbeknownst of their existence. The captain was the only one who remained where he was, shaking in his very boots as his jaw continued to shake up and down. The man on the other side of the door was still seeking some answers.

"Dude, what's wrong? What's going on now?"

That was when Lady Turbo leaped and sliced through a random goon trying to run, burning him to a crisp in the process. Another goon screamed in terror, and threw his empty gun at her, though the gun was quickly grabbed. The man squealed like a little runt, before Lady Orange Heart flew up to him, and repeatedly struck the gun onto his poor head. By the time his head was nearly cracked open, he was incinerated completely.

The few females of the group managed to almost reach the thicket the heroines were sitting in, but Lady Orange Heart somehow blew fire directly at them. The women were quickly set ablaze, scrambling aimlessly around the ground as the rain mocked them, never extinguishing their flames as they crumbled to the ground. This left three goons and the captain alive, along with the three unconscious, all about ready to meet their fate.

"Seriously, what in Celestia's name is going on?"

Lady Orange Heart Quickly grabbed one of the goons from the back, making him yell as he was slammed onto the unconscious bodies. Eventually, all of those bodies were nothing but ash, leaving behind smears that were once great and thinking humans. The other two goons attempted to fire their guns, but as they were blank, it was more of a psychotic decision to do so. They were weeping like little children as the thunder roared above, Lady Orange Heart looking quite devilish as the flames built about her. Some of the trees around her began to flame up, and soon the heat became almost as unbearable as it was before the storm; each of the heroines felt the sudden intensity, but they knew they were all powerless to stop her. Even our own Goddesses of Gamindustri were powerless in terms of transforming, and thus were forced to watch a hell-like scenario unfold.

Another goon was gone by a rapid, flaming sword, which sliced him into millions of pieces, before ash became the norm of his stature. The Captain was essentially nothing at this point; yes, he was still alive, but he was clearly at a loss for words, only staring at the destruction before him with the thousand-yard stare. The other goon fell to the floor and went into a begging position. "Please, dear god, please spare us! I'm…I'm not ready to die!" the goon prayed, holding his down low as he hoped that his words will please the angered goddess, instead of forsaking him to a fiery grave. "I…I have three kids! You can't just kill me like this!"

Now, most of the heroines knew that, once a family is mentioned, that person was no doubt about it, about to die, due to a sickening, ironic world of which we live in. Blanc, a person that commonly wrote that sort of trope, already knew what to expect, and tightly held her sisters, so they wouldn't have to witness the hell before them (they were already hiding away in fear; even Ram was frightened, and she would look at a spider eating a fly in a very gruesome manner). All they could do, unfortunately, was wait for the massacre to finally cease.

The begging was nothing to the destroyed Goddess, who showed nothing but fury within her burning ambition. She delicately picked up the kneeling soldier by the tip of her mighty sword, suspending the man high up into the air, his body growing slowly warm as he desperately tried to get out of the hold. "Captain, dear god, help me!" he yelled in a horrific manner, knowing that his life could end at any moment. The captain, not even displaying the slightest hint of emotion, only stared at the ground, as though he was willing to just go through this horrific event without the chance of fighting back. The man on the other side of the wall still had no idea what was happening, though it was clear that he was intentionally keeping the door closed now.

Lady Orange Heart stared off into the distance, her face fully content with the ash spread around her legs. It would appear that she was attempting to smile like a murderous thief, though her rotting countenance was forcing her muscles to be locked in place. Her burning eyes, fueled by flame but absent in feeling, stared openly out towards our heroes, and at first they made zero contact with our wonderful characters. However, as the soldier still screamed for his life to be spared, Lady Orange Heart's eyes happened to tilt downwards, and if one were to look closely, it was arguable that she was staring into the eyes of poor Nepgear. The CPU candidate noticed this as well, and for only a few moments, she found herself locked in a stare down with the passed Goddess, the flames concealing everything else but the undead woman.

For a while, they just stared at one another, and with each passing second, Nepgear felt her eyes grow wider and wider, as though shock was forming within her feeble frame. She gripped Uni's hand as tightly as humanly possible, making Uni wince, though it wasn't enough to make her gaze leave the hellish scene before her. The Goddess, though dead as she was, still appeared to have a mischievous stare, and though Nepgear tried her best to get out of it, she was locked into the devilish gaze. It was so strange to be staring into the eyes of a once-grand Goddess, but no matter how much Nepgear wanted to say how cool it was, that looming feeling of impending danger continued to creep up on her, and fear plagued her mind more than awe.

In an instant, as though she was teasing him, the soldier burst into flames, though only his very flesh and bone caught ablaze; his clothing remained unscathed miraculously, including the innards. He screamed in terror as his body burned to a crisp, his voice cutting off within seconds of the first ember being produced. Soon, she let the clothing fall delicately to the ground, for some reason deciding to spare the wear. The captain was still not moving, only staring at the ground, now looking as though he was bored out of his mind. Lady Orange Heart turned towards the man, and silently flew towards him. The girls continued to watch in horror as the beast of a woman flew nearby, the heat only intensifying with each passing second.

However, before Lady Orange Heart got to him, the Captain quickly regained some of his composure, quickly pulling out a handgun from behind his belt. He looked straight into the eyes of the dead Goddess, looking as though he had seen this before, and it was nothing new. Lady Orange Heart most likely assumed that the man was going to shoot at her, but instead of the obvious, the captain took the gun directly towards his chin and in an instant, his brain came flying out, his body dancing about on the floor. Even Lady Orange Heart was stunned by this sudden action, though her dead muscles proved otherwise. The heroines all gasped, and for a moment, Lady Orange Heart tilted her head towards them, and it was known that she did see the purple hair of Nepgear, though she did not an action towards them.

With that, she must have felt that whatever objective she had here was done efficiently and perfectly, and with that, she flew off into the stormy sky, the rain being incinerated as the orange blaze passed through the air. In a matter of five seconds, the flames that ended the lives of so many was now no more, the rain falling sporadically onto the burnt ground, any blood remaining beginning to be further liquidized. The dead bodies, scorched black and an imperfect red, were like mud sculptures in the heavy rain, with the green trees appearing to mock them. The animals of the forest, once quiet by the strangeness of the scene, quickly resumed their lives, and produced the standard affair nature is known for.

"Oh…Oh my…" Compa said as she covered her mouth, tears forming within those precious eyes. The rain fell even faster as the girls slowly stood up, each and every one of them hesitant to even step a foot towards the burnt land. They moved, though it was mostly a shuffling movement, leaving the shade and into the valley of the shadow of death, becoming soaked almost immediately from the ironic heavens. The majority of them were shocked as they moved, their eyes bloodshot at the massacre that had unfolded. Even Blanc, the hardened Goddess of Lowee, was nearly driven to insanity, holding both of her sisters close as they struggled to see what had occurred, her mind contemplating why on Gamindustri she even brought them here. The only two that were unfazed were IF and Cave, though they only didn't show their actual emotions. Perhaps they were saddened, perhaps they were frightened, or perhaps they were just used to seeing this by now; no one can ever know for sure.

"Why…why would she do this? I hate this place!" Compa suddenly yelled, collapsing into the ashed filled ground, a severed hand lying next to her; a perfectly animated, scorched appendage that appeared to be pointing directly towards the sky. It would have normally been nightmare fuel for the young Doctor, but her tears and complete longing for Gamindustri's peaceful ways protected her already-wraught mind. IF, calm but still silently reeling in shock, lowered herself as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. The rest of the Heroines simply stared off into space, the smoke blackening their faces as the majority of their eyes refused to close.

It was around this point that Blanc finally felt the chill of feeling her younger sibling shaking within her grasp. It was not from Rom, but from Ram, who ended up burying her face into elder sister's belly. She wasn't fully crying, but Blanc could easily tell that she was about to, evident by the audible sniffles coming from the young Candidate. _Fuck…I cannot…I'm truly sorry, Ram. Shit, why did I bring you guys here?_ Due to sudden guilt plaguing her mind, she quickly brought her eyes to the other child, who remained standing still, eyes staring off towards a tree. She neither cried or wavered; she only stood there like a zombie. It made Blanc want to cry herself.

Nisa only looked away as Nepgear felt her hand begin to be deprived of oxygen. In her ears was soulful-yet-depressing sound of a crying girl. She turned her head to see Uni, grasping Nepgear as hard as she could, her other hand in front of her face as she attempted to keep herself from breaking down, though the end result was inevitable. Nepgear had to admit that this was surprising; Uni was not one to just cry this easily. "Uni…Uni, it's okay," Nepgear said, trying her best to move a little bit, so she can accurately hug her loved one. Uni was in no mood to fight this, and she simply found herself falling into Nep's arms. The Candidate patted the other, hoping to be as soothful as possible; if Uni began crying, then it was truly serious, though who could blame her? Nepgear had a few tears running down, and from the looks of their older siblings, the feelings were shared. Even Neptune, kind and resilient as she is, didn't even crack a broken smile. She just stood there, lost in the confused wild.

Of course, there was one other matter they haven't addressed.

"Is anyone out there? What the blazes happened? Captain, what the fuck is going on? Captain? Jeez, why do I smell burning…"

* * *

5pb. Phase 6: In Which FPS wonders about the underdog

In the end, due to their beautiful timing, Lyrica found her group to be the first in reuniting. The three gents, still baffled by the perfect strength the idle displayed, quickly scrambled about on the floor, before they finally managed to reach second place. Both teams were still in the abandoned area of the maze, and though they were simply supposed to wait in the maze, and the men could now do whatever they want without restrictions, they chose to abstain. Lyrica feared that they would try to do something "funny" again, but probably due to what she did before, they may have been too afraid to try anything ever again. For them, they were just lucky to be second in this hellish game.

Cameras were everywhere in the maze, so it was easy to keep track of who made it where. After the boys got back together, another group, comprised of a portly gent, a portly woman, and a grotesque old man, found one another, managing to secure third, and thus be the last team to escape with nothing wrong. The crowd went wild as the tension heated up; so far, no one officially died yet, but now that a fifth place will be announced, blood will be spilled. It was sickening to watch, and it was most certainly worst to be the last ones, desperately trying to find one another, knowing that even if you do live, a deadly mark was now upon your heads, which could spell instant death, if not careful.

After 20 freaking minutes, fourth place was declared near the middle of the maze. It comprised of two women, quite attractive amidst this crisis, and a boy no older than 13. Once they met up, the crowd suddenly began to boo at them; apparently, one of the ladies, the one that apparently had the biggest bust size, was currently in the lead for the "soul that should die" poll. Certainly, such a list was sadistic, but apparently, the east side of Lan16 cared not. On the mighty televisions surrounding the stadium, a dirty-looking check appeared, along with a sound that came out like a trumpet that just couldn't get the notes right.

So, with that, all the traps in the maze quickly disabled themselves, and all the walls suddenly caved in, sinking deep into the grounds, leaving only the plain ground below everyone's feet, unless the ground was modified prior, of course. The last team, who had two members (one the captain) together, but the third leg still missing in action, grew pale, knowing that judgement day had arrived for them quite the day early. The crowd went ecstatic, knowing now that a death will occur. FPS, now located high up in a monitor room near the north of the place, coughed as he took the microphone, his own voice filled with empty glee.

"Well, there you have it, folks! It seems that some of these troops know a thing or two about decent teamwork! Three teams, foreign in their personal knowledge but perfect in their prime, have proved that they went up-and-beyond the call of duty. Lady 5, Sir Matias, and Sir Gordon have proven that their team may just come out on top. Lady Gphan, though your team failed to reach the top three, you still have shown diligence, and for that, I commend you!" he shouted to the contestants, accompanied by the crowd cheering and stomping. Lyrica had to cover her ears.

Suddenly, as though he was a different person, FPS's voice grew cold. "Unfortunately, Lady Comperion, you have demonstrated nothing but failure to me and your nation! You are a disgrace to walk on this world, and for that, your team shall pay the ultimate price!" he yelled with the deadliest intent Lyrica had ever heard. What the hell was that? Because this poor woman couldn't find a person in a maze, means she is a disgrace to the entire world? That was just stupid, but it didn't change the horrible fact that the last placed-team had a choice to make: who did the leader keep, and who did she off?

A soldier quickly ran to the third member of their party. Surprisingly, the third member was the downed teenager Quantic shot acid at. She was definitely not dead, but she was still lying on the ground, panting heavily. It was unfortunate, but some humanity was returning to her eyes, and it was clear that she was growing afraid. I only wrote this because we all know what was going to happen next.

"Soldier, give her the pistol! Lady Comperion, you are to shoot one of your squad-mates. Shooting one of our own will bring you to an early grave, and offing yourself will cause your teammates to die at your expense. Don't pull a fast one, now!"

Lyrica watched in complete horror as the soldier handed their captain a gun, and she was left alone with one of her teammates. The other soldier attempted to get the other team member, but she refused to move. "I want mah mommie! Give me mah mommie!" she yelled as the tears rolled down her scorched face. The soldier gave up, and walked over to their captain, saying if she chose her, she would just have to walk over herself. The crowd grew quiet in anticipation.

"Dear God…" Zyng said silently to herself. Lyrica was surprised that the Princess of ForeheadBook knew emotions, but now was not the time to bring up an argument. She wished she kept the blindfold on, knowing that what she was about to see would be eerily reminiscent of a certain scene involving a mother and her baby. Perhaps in order to make up for it, the idol quickly grabbed Quantic, holding her close, making sure she didn't experience what was about to occur. Quantic was frantic at first, but she suddenly grew fearful, and withdrew into the idol's arms.

The captain and the member near her began to talk, and it seemed that a decision was made. With a gulp, Comperion walked slowly over to the third member, who was still bawling like a little child. The soldiers all glared at her, making sure nothing was going to happen; many of the soldiers actually _did _want to step in and stop this, but under their orders, they merely kept their feelings to themselves. The crowd began to lean in on their seats, preparing for a moment that will go down in history. Lyrica shook her head repeatedly, while the cold Zyng continued to say "My God…" over and over again.

When the teenager realized what was about to occur, she froze up; she probably could have gotten up, but a fear of guns over the course of her pathetic life made her a living statue begging to be cut down. "No, no, wait! Please, aim yar gun away! Please!" She started to choke up. Her breathing became harder, and her eyes grew twice as big. The teams around them either looked away, or could only stare in horror. The crowd began to chant:

"Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Comperion closed her eyes, repeatedly saying "I'm sorry" under her breath, her arm being leveled as the gun was pointing forward, aiming directly towards the young girl's forehead. The soldiers stared on in silence as the crowd continued to chant. In just a press of a trigger, a life will be gone. Simple as that.

"Please! I don't wanna-"

Her voice was cut off by a sudden bang, signalling the appearance of a bullet within her skull. Her eyes aimed up, her hands beginning to scratch around it, before her back arched and body flailed on the ground. It seemed like she was struggling for a few minutes, but after that, her body lay there limp, her fingers occasionally twitching. The crowd suddenly shouted in an uproar, and plenty of clapping followed the horrible scene. Lyrica found herself with her jaw on the floor, her eyes twitching as the world appeared to grow dead. _I…What the hell did I…just stop clapping, dammit!_

In the end, FPS returned to give another speech about teamwork, managing to quiet the obnoxious attendants. The five teams, all experiencing what will soon grow into shell-shock, left the stadium by his orders, barely keeping their heads up as the world appeared to flash before their very eyes. To those that lived, it already felt like they were dead.

Up in the monitor room, FPS quickly found himself looking at every camera that detailed the likes of young Lyrica. One of the soldiers in his attendance noticed this quirk, and with a smirk that never ceased, he took the moment to question the hell out of his superior. "Quite the lass, eh? I preferred it when she had long hair, but I mean, she pulls off the short-look quite well."

FPS took the moment to stare at the soldier, who quickly began to shuffle away. "If that's the case, keep your beliefs to yourself. To me, all of them are ugly," he said, turning back to the ancient screens, a heavy hand holding his heavy head. The soldier rubbed the back of his head, before thinking of another question.

"Yeah, many of them are. Still, if you think that, why are you always looking at that idol chick, anyways? Something blooming inside that metal of yours?" he said with a strange swoon to his words, his elbow continuously hitting FPS near the neck. Unfortunately for the young sod, FPS turned back to him, and his finger was raised high in the air.

"If I dare hear another word out of you pertaining to romance, I shall execute you on the spot! I believe you fully know that I sincerely find the human body to be a wretched hive filled with disease and rubbish!" he said with authority, causing the soldier to back away even farther, nodding in understanding, hoping that his life would be spared. With that, FPS went back to staring at the idol, who was begrudgingly walking back to her cell. "Still, I found her to be most interesting today."

The soldier grew concerned. "What do you mean, sir? I'll admit, getting first is good, but what was so remarkable?" he asked, keeping his hands to his side, so that he didn't find himself on the other side of the gun of FPS again. That happened last April, and let me tell you; you never want to be on the other side of his gun.

FPS continued to watch the screen, his heavy body leaning forward, to the point that his head almost collided with the screen. Within the camera's vantage point was Lyrica sitting down, appearing to be rubbing some dirt off her knee. Her teammates appeared to be saying something, but as of now, FPS decided to keep the sound off, just to protect their privacy. Right at this moment, all Lyrica was doing was just sitting, and occasionally nodding to something Princess Zyng ended up saying; she never really grew angry, so it wasn't anything bad yet. Still, he made sure to watch this selected screen, while the other soldiers took it upon themselves to monitor the other contestants.

"My boy," the giant man began, "getting first has been done numerous times throughout this shows existence. The power she displayed out there, one of agility and pure strength, was quickly unmatched by anyone before. Yet, from her facial expressions, she is certainly not enjoying winning. Why is that?" FPS continued to lean forward, his rusty chair making plenty of creak noises, most likely about to give way to his heavy weight. The soldier beside him gave him a look of curiosity, though being that this was his superior, he chose not to ask any further on that subject.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Damn, you see her? She was surrounded by all of them, and yet when they were ready for the kill, she freaking took them out like they was nothing! Pretty amazing comeback, if I do say so myself," the soldier stated, a hand being patted on his chest. FPS turned his head slightly, though he immediately turned back to the monitor, continuing to watch the commotion within her cage.

FPS made a clap, and two more soldiers appeared by his side, each still shaken from apparently being on the battlefield moments prior (fun fact: one of the soldiers was the guy that cut Lyrica's hair off). While he addressed them, he never did take his eyes off of the monitor. "I want you two to head towards the cages, and meet up with Lady Lyrica in cell I-4. I want you to give her a message for me. Do we have an understandment?"

The two soldiers looked at one another, before nodding rather vigorously. "Sure thing, sir! What is your message? Verbal or written?"

FPS still refused to take his eyes off of the monitor. "Verbal. Tell this: 'On the noon hour of tomorrow, please visit Sir FPS in the control room. Bring only your bod.' Understood?" he stated, waving a lazy hand in the air. One of the soldiers was quickly jotting it down, hoping to get every keyword down from the first try; FPS was not one who enjoyed repeating himself. "Bring it to her immediately, soldiers. That is an order!"

"Yes sir!"

The two soldiers quickly ran out of the room, running down what had to be 60 flights of stairs before reaching the cages. Once they appeared, many of the denizens began to act up, with some throwing whatever remained of the contents of the buckets, while others simply turned away, refusing to look at anything living. The two soldiers attempted to brush off whatever was thrown at them with their guns, but this often failed in the end, so when they did eventually get to Lyrica's cage, their whole top-half was covered in a sickening red.

"Ah great, look over there!" Princess Zyng motioned towards the hall, a look of disgruntlement evident on her plain face. Quantic and Lyrica refused to stand up, though they did at least give the motion to see what was so important. The two soldiers, tired out from running and protecting themselves, finally reached the cage with barely their lives intact. One of them went for the lock, while the other held his gun up at the three girls, just in case any foul-play was about to be committed. Probably because they already experienced a terrifying hell, the three didn't even bother to either protect themselves or ask why.

"Lyrica, correct?" one of the soldiers asked once they stood within the small compartment. The three girls knew he had no idea who he was supposed to be looking at, so Lyrica had to stand up in the end. Needless to say, she was rather too angry for conversations right now; especially when the conversations involved the people that through them here in the first place.

"What do you want?" the idol said rather coldly. It came as a surprise to both her teammates and even herself that she spoke like that. The soldiers, however, remained unfazed behind those helmets of theirs. One of the men produced the notice he received from FPS, and began to unravel it in his hands when Zyng suddenly spoke up.

"What is this? You dare just enter our blasted abode without even introducing yourselfs? Do you even know who I am, you sick pug of a man?" she yelled, placing both of her hands on her hips. The soldiers both looked at one another, not fully sure on what to do. She was a contestant, yes, and though she was talking as though she held some form of authority, she was still considered less than them. They could have easily ignored her, but the main problem was that she looked as though she was serious, and that is never a good thing when it comes to a woman. Luckily for the two gents, Lyrica spoke on the behalf of her teammate.

"Please, Zyng, let them say what they have to."

Princess Zyng gave her a curious look, before she turned the other way, making an "hmph" noise before turning fully away from them all. Quantic merely looked at the soldiers with curiosity, not sure if she should speak up or not. Seeing as how a possible dilemma just past by them, the soldiers decided to continue forth.

"Um, yes, well, Our Lord FPS wanted us to provide you with a message. This is coming from his official word, my lady, and it is only addressed to you, not your teammates."

Princess Zyng and Quantic looked at the soldiers with disdain. "Whoi not uis? I woin't let youis doi anythang woith Foive-peh-beh!" the young foreigner yelled, raising a complementary fist into the air. Lyrica was surprised by the loyalty Quantic managed to give, feeling quite warm inside now. Still, the soldiers had their scene that needed to be finished.

"Forgive me, but FPS only wants your leader to attend to his meeting. His word is as follows: 'On the noon hour of tomorrow, please visit Sir FPS in the control room. Bring only your bod.' That is his official word; we do not know the occasion, but we know it to be satisfactory to your interests in the end," one of the soldiers stated, feeling quite pleased with himself that he stated everything perfectly and fluently.

Lyrica looked at the two of them, though her expression always remained impassive. "Why would he want me? He didn't say anything, or are you just hiding everything possible?" Lyrica stated, still sounding as cold as ever. The two soldiers randomly bowed politely before her.

"We were not told the reason why. To be honest, we are as confused as you are. Perhaps he wants to congratulate you on your efforts in the previous competition," one of the soldiers stated, before feeling a tug on his sleeve from the other man. He turned to see the other soldier pointing towards the door; apparently, he received a message from his walkie-talkie that they are needed on the field for an unknown reason. With that, the soldier turned back to the girls. "Please have a pleasant day, and remember to be in FPS's control room on the 61st floor of this establishment at noon sharp tomorrow. If you must, ask any of the soldiers to lead you there; they all should be notified of your purpose. If you do not attend, we are not responsible for whatever FPS decides to do in response."

The soldier was very proud that he did his job right, and with that, both of them locked the cell door and preceded out of the room. The three girls were left in silence as they mulled over the possible reasons why Lyrica would even get a message like that. First they throw her into a dangerous, force her to hurt people, forced her to cut her hair, and now they were forcing her to freaking meet the guy that started it all? What a total dick!

"Hmph, low-class rats! They should know that information is key to a better future!" Zyng stated, sitting down now on the cold, hard ground, "Guess you have no choice on the matter, _leader_. I better not have to remind you every damn second!"

Quantic randomly decided to speak. "Perhoips heh wahnts to confess hois loive for yoi!" she yelled, making the occupants of the other cages more-or-less disgruntled. It took Lyrica quite awhile to break through that heavy accent, but once she realized what the foreigner was implying, she ended up blushing.

"I highly doubt that! I've gotten plenty of love letters in my time, and not once were they written like that! I mean, I least I _hope _he's not confessing his love for me," Lyrica said, feeling sick to the stomach that she actually felt flattered. Princess Zyng let out a hefty guffaw, still turned away from the crowd.

"Well, rat for a rat, I suppose!" she stated, before suddenly growing quiet. "However, leader, if he does anything, we will try and defend you, all right?"

Lyrica did hear that, and decided to play with it. "Sure thing, Zyng. Didn't know royalty helped rats like me!"

Princess Zyng looked over at her, a blush evident on her face, though she was more pissed than embarrassed. "H-How dare you! I'm just saying that since you are my leader! No other reason! I am merely being chivalrous, since it is my nature from ForeheadBook, which is a trait that seems to be lacking here in Gamindustri!"

Both Quantic and Lyrica laughed, causing Princess Zyng to turn away once more. After a few minutes, the heavy laughter calmed down, and all three of them found themselves in a daze, even if it was only a few minutes past 12. Lyrica lay on her side, feeling her stomach growl, begging for something to fill it. _Soon, soon. I don't know when, but soon, _she thought to herself. A possible love letter, eh? She didn't know if she should feel afraid, disgusted, or both. Most of the time, love letters just came out as cheesy, though Lyrica always appreciated them, as it showed that the people were putting effort into message from a guy that was probably planning to kill them all? Now that was just horrendous? All she could do now was hope that it wasn't a letter of love.

The only love letter she would ever respond to would be one made out by IF-

_S-Stop thinking like that!_

* * *

_This is taken from The Phantom's book _"_Neptunian Theory: The Destruction of Man and Planet through the trivial matters of Godly dissolution;" Page 300, para 3:_

"…I begin to wonder if Lady Belyy was a descendant of Lady Odyeosis, the first Goddess of Gamindustri. Both were ruthless tirants (sic), and attempted to wipe out an entire race of man (For Odyeosis, it was the Makers; for Lady Belyy, it was the Planeptunians). If this turns out to be true, then the end-of-the-world theorem that I have devised may end up coming faster than I expected. The Second Polygonal War ended only a few decades ago, so if the truth is revealed, the end of the entire universe may come during my own lifetime…"


End file.
